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Mauritius Online Magazine May 2012 Issue

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LATEST NEWS & GOSSIPS

» 17 May 2012
Spain borrowing costs set to rise amid Greece fears

Spain's borrowing costs look set to spike on Thursday when the country's treasury sells up to 2.5bn euros (£2bn; $3.2bn) of three- and four-year sovereign bonds.

» 17 May 2012
Congo Bosco Terminator Ntaganda 'will be caught - ICC

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has said he is hopeful that a Congolese warlord will be arrested within weeks.

» 17 May 2012
Japan economy grows 1.0% on rebuilding spending

Japan's economy grew 1.0% between January and March compared with the previous three months, as government spending helped fuel a gradual recovery from last year's earthquake and tsunami.

» 17 May 2012
Mary Kennedy had battled drug and alcohol problems

The family of Mary Kennedy have paid tribute to her "kindness, love, gentle soul and generous spirit" after she was found dead at her home in Bedford, New York, on Wednesday.

» 15 May 2012
Fresh talks in Greece as fears of euro exit grow

Further talks are due in Greece amid a scramble to try to secure a workable government following inconclusive elections nine days ago.

» 15 May 2012
Heartland Institute grows isolated as three more donors disassociate

Heartland Institute was cut off by three more corporate donors on Monday, further isolating the ultra-conservative thinktank from the mainstream business world.

» 15 May 2012
Palestinian inmates in Israel end mass hunger strike

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have agreed to end a mass hunger strike, which has been going on for more than two months.

» 15 May 2012
Ellesmere Port Vauxhall factory and 2,100 jobs to be saved

General Motors has signalled that the Ellesmere Port factory in north-west England will be saved, along with 2,100 jobs...

» 14 May 2012
Mexico violence: Monterrey police find 49 bodies

Forty-nine mutilated bodies have been found dumped by a roadside near the city of Monterrey in northern Mexico.

» 14 May 2012
Yahoo chief executive Scott Thompson steps down

The chief executive of computer firm Yahoo has stepped down, amid accusations that a fake computer science degree was included on his CV.

» 14 May 2012
Trayvon Martin petition site Change.org comes to UK

It helped a 22-year-old nanny working two jobs take on Bank of America, a bullied teenager make the Motion Picture Association...

» 14 May 2012
Nato urged to investigate civilian deaths in Libya

A leading human rights organisation has urged Nato to investigate fully the deaths of civilians in air strikes in Libya last year.

» 11 May 2012
JPMorgan reveals shock $2bn trading loss on investments

JPMorgan Chase, the biggest US bank, has revealed a surprise trading loss of $2bn (£1.2bn) on complex investments made by its traders.

» 11 May 2012
HIV prevention pill Truvada backed by US experts

A panel of US health experts has for the first time backed a drug to prevent HIV infection in healthy people.

» 11 May 2012
Africa spectacular growth jeopardised by rising inequality, new report warns

Africa's impressive growth during the financial and economic crisis of the last five years will be put at risk unless action is taken to combat rising inequality...

» 11 May 2012
Undercover agent in al-Qaeda bomb plot was British

The man who foiled a Yemen-based al-Qaeda "underwear bomb" plot is reported to have been a British man of Middle Eastern origin, according to US media.

» 10 May 2012
Indonesia searchers find missing Russia jet wreckage

Indonesian officials say a helicopter has spotted what is thought to be wreckage of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet plane that disappeared on Wednesday.

» 10 May 2012
London 2012: Olympic flame to be lit in Greece

The Olympic flame will be lit in a ceremony in Olympia, Greece, on Thursday ahead of the start of the torch relay and the London 2012 Games.

» 10 May 2012
Obama says same-sex couples should be able to marry

US President Barack Obama has ended months of hedging on the issue of gay marriage by saying he thinks same-sex couples should be able to wed.

» 10 May 2012
Mexican police discover at least 15 dismembered bodies near Guadalajara

At least 15 dismembered bodies have been found in two vans near Lake Chapala, south of the city of Guadalajara in western Mexico, according to police.

» 09 May 2012
Greek election: Syriza to tear up EU austerity deal

The leader of Greece's left-wing Syriza bloc has said he will try to form a coalition based on tearing up the terms of the EU/IMF bailout deal.

» 09 May 2012
One in six cancers worldwide are caused by infection

One in six cancers - two million a year globally - are caused by largely treatable or preventable infections, new estimates suggest.

» 09 May 2012
European judges to debate Abu Qatada appeal bid

Senior judges at the European Court of Human Rights are due to meet to decide whether radical cleric Abu Qatada can appeal against deportation from the UK.

» 09 May 2012
Underwear bomber was working for the CIA

A would-be "underwear bomber" involved in a plot to attack a US-based jet was in fact working as an undercover informer with Saudi intelligence and the CIA, it has emerged.

» 08 May 2012
Greek election: Far-left seeks anti-austerity coalition

The leader of Greece's far-left is to try to form a government after parties backing an international bailout deal failed to assemble a coalition.

» 08 May 2012
Francois Hollande to set France on new course after win

French President-elect Francois Hollande is to start work on forming a new government, after telling supporters his victory gave hope of an end to austerity.

» 08 May 2012
Niger is worst country to be a mother, says report

Niger is the worst country on earth in which to be a mother, according to a report by Save the Children.

» 08 May 2012
China expels al-Jazeera English reporter

Al-Jazeera says it has been forced to close its English-language bureau in Beijing after its reporter was expelled.

» 07 May 2012
Greek governing parties lose majority at polls

Greece's two governing parties, which back tough austerity measures, have lost their parliamentary majority in Sunday's election.

» 07 May 2012
Yemeni al-Qaeda leader killed in drone air strike

An al-Qaeda leader in Yemen wanted in connection with the 2000 bombing of the American warship USS Cole has been killed in an air raid.

» 07 May 2012
Clinton due to meet West Bengal leader Mamata Banerjee

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to meet the chief minister of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee...

» 07 May 2012
Kim Dotcom rap song lampoons John Banks over NZ donations scandal

Kim Dotcom's penchant for online films is well documented. His recent YouTube releases include an expensively produced rap song...

» 04 May 2012
Osama Bin Laden documents released

Newly released papers from Osama Bin Laden's hideout reveal a frustrated al-Qaeda leader struggling to control an unruly network, the US military says.

» 04 May 2012
Falkland Islands claimed as Argentine soil in secretly filmed Olympic advert

Argentina has released a provocative advertisement that was filmed secretly on the Falklands and depicts the islands...

» 04 May 2012
Four Mexican journalists found dead in Veracruz canal

Two press photographers have been found dead in a canal in the Mexican port city of Veracruz alongside a former cameraman...

» 04 May 2012
WWII Adolf Hitler profile suggests messiah complex

Adolf Hitler developed a "messiah complex" towards the end of World War II, a newly unveiled report written for wartime British intelligence says.

» 03 May 2012
France election: Sarkozy and Hollande trade insults

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his challenger Francois Hollande have traded insults in their only TV debate of the election campaign.

» 03 May 2012
Sir Mervyn King renews push for bank reform

The governor of the Bank of England, Sir Mervyn King, has renewed calls for reform of the banking industry.

» 03 May 2012
Edvard Munch iconic artwork The Scream sold for $120m

Norwegian expressionist Edvard Munch's The Scream has become the most expensive art work sold at auction as it went in New York for $119.9m (£74m).

» 03 May 2012
Syria imported weapons worth $168m in 2010, says Oxfam

The Syrian government imported $167m-worth of air defence systems and missiles and a further $1m of small arms and ammunition in the months...

» 02 May 2012
Clinton set for China talks amid activist escape

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in China, where the escape of a Chinese activist threatens to overshadow key talks.

» 02 May 2012
Deady car bomb shakes Kabul after Barack Obama visit to Afghanistan

Six people have been killed in an early morning suicide attack in Kabul just after Barack Obama flew out of Afghanistan, the country's government said.

» 02 May 2012
Burma Aung San Suu Kyi sworn in to parliament

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sworn in as a member of Burma's parliament, a month after her party's sweeping victory in by-elections.

» 02 May 2012
Chen Guangcheng wins a strange kind of freedom

After a punishing 19 months of house arrest, Chen Guangcheng's flight has won him a very strange kind of freedom.

» 30 Apr 2012
UN mission head Robert Mood: Only Syrians can end violence

The head of the UN observer mission to Syria has warned that even 1,000 unarmed observers could not end the violence in the country on their own.

» 30 Apr 2012
Cannabis production booming in Britain, say police

Clandestine cannabis factories are booming in Britain, with the police detecting more than 7,800 in the past year – more than double the number found four years ago.

» 30 Apr 2012
Barack Obama ribs Mitt Romney at White House correspondents dinner

He joked about eating dog but Barack Obama's main course at the White House correspondents' dinner was the tender flanks of Mitt Romney.

» 30 Apr 2012
Sudan declares emergency on border with South Sudan

Sudan has reportedly declared a state of emergency along its border with South Sudan after weeks of clashes.

» 27 Apr 2012
Taylor Sierra Leone war crimes trial verdict welcomed

Human rights groups have welcomed the guilty verdict against former Liberian leader Charles Taylor.

» 27 Apr 2012
Ecowas sends troops to Mali, Guinea-Bissau after coups

West African leaders have agreed to send troops to Mali and Guinea-Bissau following coups in both countries.

» 27 Apr 2012
US Secret Service probes El Salvador sex allegations

Spain's precarious economic situation has worsened after the ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the country's debt and warned that its recession...

» 27 Apr 2012
Bin Laden wives and children deported to Saudi Arabia

The three widows and children of Osama Bin Laden have been deported to Saudi Arabia from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, officials say.

» 26 Apr 2012
Syria crisis: France raises use of force

France says the Security Council should consider the use of force in Syria if a UN-backed peace plan fails to stop violence in the country.

» 26 Apr 2012
Ichiro Ozawa: Court clears Japan shadow shogun

Influential Japanese politician Ichiro Ozawa has been found not guilty in a funding scandal.

» 26 Apr 2012
Earth faces a century of disasters, report warns

World population needs to be stabilised quickly and high consumption in rich countries rapidly reduced to avoid "a downward spiral of economic...

» 26 Apr 2012
Two-fifths of UK trafficking victims are male, survey reveals

Men account for more than two-fifths (41%) of adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales helped by the Salvation Army..

» 25 Apr 2012
Bo Xilai scandal: Son Bo Guagua defends lifestyle

The son of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has defended his lifestyle in an open letter to his university.

» 25 Apr 2012
Mitt Romney vows to oust Obama after primary sweep

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has vowed to take the White House from President Barack Obama and end four years of "disappointments".

» 25 Apr 2012
Governments failing to avert catastrophic climate change, IEA urges

Governments are falling badly behind on low-carbon energy, putting carbon reduction targets out of reach and pushing the world to the brink of catastrophic climate change...

» 25 Apr 2012
South Africa: Malema loses appeal against ANC expulsion

Firebrand youth leader Julius Malema has lost his appeal against expulsion from South Africa's ruling ANC, the party says.

» 20 Apr 2012
Huge water resource exists under Africa

Scientists say the notoriously dry continent of Africa is sitting on a vast reservoir of groundwater.

» 20 Apr 2012
Bahrain F1 security stepped up as practice runs begin

Authorities in Bahrain have tightened security ahead of practice sessions for Sunday's Formula 1 Grand Prix.

» 20 Apr 2012
France election: Last day of campaigning

Candidates in the French presidential election are on their last day of campaigning before voters head to the polls on Sunday.

» 20 Apr 2012
Burma leader Thein Sein in Japan to talk investment

Burmese President Thein Sein has arrived in Japan for a five-day visit expected to focus on financial aid and debt relief.

» 19 Apr 2012
India test launches Agni-V long-range missile

India has launched a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile able to carry a nuclear warhead, say media.

» 19 Apr 2012
Agents dismissed in US Secret Service Cartagena scandal

Three members of the US Secret Service are leaving the agency following the prostitution scandal in Colombia.

» 19 Apr 2012
Sri Lankan woman faces beheading on witchcraft charge

A Sri Lankan woman could face the death penalty by beheading after she was arrested on suspicion of casting a spell on a 13-year-old girl during a family shopping trip...

» 19 Apr 2012
Sudan president seeks to liberate South Sudan

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has said his main goal is now to "liberate" the people of South Sudan from its rulers following recent border clashes.

» 18 Apr 2012
Citigroup investors reject bigger executive pay deal

Citigroup shareholders have voted against giving top executives a bigger pay deal in a rare show of investor discontent.

» 18 Apr 2012
North Korea not bound by US nuclear deal

North Korea says it is no longer bound by a moratorium on missile and nuclear tests agreed with the US in February in return for food aid.

» 18 Apr 2012
Britain planned poison gas tests in Botswana, records reveal

Britain planned to test a very virulent type of poison gas in what is now Botswana, the colonial archives reveal.

» 18 Apr 2012
Barack Obama father tops colonial list of Kenyan students in US

The name of Barack Obama, the father of the American president, is on the top of a list of names revealed in a hitherto secret British colonial file of Kenyans studying in the US.

» 17 Apr 2012
Republicans block Obama Buffett Rule in the Senate

Senate Republicans defied President Barack Obama on one of his top election-year issues on Monday, derailing a Democratic bill forcing the top US earners to pay at least 30% of their income in taxes.

» 17 Apr 2012
Breivik due to take stand in Norway massacre trial

The man accused of killing 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in Norway last July is due to take to the stand on the second day of his trial in Oslo.

» 17 Apr 2012
Aid helps more children reach five, says ODI report

Four million more children a year are living beyond their fifth birthday than in 1990, a new report for Save the Children and Unicef has found.

» 17 Apr 2012
China increases its US debt holding for second month

China has increased its holding of US debt for the second month in a row as its foreign exchange reserves continue to rise.

» 16 Apr 2012
Norway puts Anders Behring Breivik on trial for murder

Anders Behring Breivik, who set off a bomb and massacred young people at a camp in Norway, is to go on trial in the capital Oslo.

» 16 Apr 2012
US and Philippines begin South China Sea drills

Joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines are getting under way in the South China Sea, even as Manila remained locked in a stand-off with Beijing over a disputed shoal.

» 16 Apr 2012
Attacks in Afghan capital have subsided, say officials

Heavy street fighting between militants and security forces in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul ended on Monday after 18 hours of intense gunfire, rocket attacks...

» 16 Apr 2012
A million jobs for world poorest with UK cash boost for entrepreneurs

The government's attempt to use the private sector as an engine for development will move up a gear this week when the international development secretary...

» 13 Apr 2012
Syria ceasefire: UN plans to send observers in days

A draft UN resolution has outlined plans to send an advance mission of 20 to 30 unarmed observers to Syria monitor compliance with a new peace plan, possibly by early next week.

» 13 Apr 2012
China economic growth dips to 8.1% in the first quarter

China's economy, the world's second-largest, has expanded at its slowest pace in almost three years.

» 13 Apr 2012
Black people more likely to be jobless in Britain than US, research reveals

Black people in Britain are more likely to be unemployed than those in the United States, especially during recessions...

» 13 Apr 2012
Lehman administrators earn £500m in fees

Administrators to the European arm of Lehman Brothers have earned fees of almost £500m

» 12 Apr 2012
Trayvon Martin: George Zimmerman charged with murder

A Florida neighbourhood watch volunteer has been charged with second-degree murder over the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

» 12 Apr 2012
New titles for North Korea leader

North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-un has been given two posts previous occupied by his late father.

» 12 Apr 2012
David Cameron to chair UN committee overseeing development goals

David Cameron has been asked by the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, to chair a new UN committee tasked with establishing a new set of UN millennium development goals...

» 12 Apr 2012
Egypt court rules Salafist eligible to stand in poll

An Egyptian court has ruled that an ultra-conservative preacher is eligible to contest May's presidential election.

» 11 Apr 2012
China calls for support amid Bo Xilai shockwave

China called for support for its probe into Bo Xilai, a day after news of his dismissal and the questioning of his wife over the death of a UK businessman sent shockwaves around the country.

» 11 Apr 2012
North Korea injects rocket fuel ahead of planned launch

North Korea says it has begun fuelling its rocket ahead of a planned - widely criticised - launch later this week.

» 11 Apr 2012
David Cameron calls for UK arms sales to Indonesia

David Cameron will today attempt to boost British defence sales in Indonesia more than 10 years after the Labour government imposed an embargo amid allegations...

» 11 Apr 2012
Cannabis-growing plan for Catalan town fails to reach vote threshold

To many people in the small town of Rasquera in the east of Spain, it seemed like the perfect remedy to the economic crisis: a massive legal cannabis plantation...

» 11 Apr 2012
Indian Ocean on tsunami watch after Sumatra quake

Tsunami Alert For Mauritius. Following an earthquake of magnitude 8.7 in Sumatra today, a tsunami alert for Mauritius and the Indian Ocean has been issued.

» 10 Apr 2012
Maryland winner of Mega Millions jackpot comes forward

A winner has come forward to claim part of the record $656m (£413m) Mega millions jackpot, lottery officials in the US state of Maryland said.

» 10 Apr 2012
Costa Rica diplomat kidnapped in Venezuela

Venezuelan police are searching for a Costa Rican diplomat who has been kidnapped in Caracas.

» 10 Apr 2012
Facebook buys Instagram photo sharing network for $1bn

Facebook has announced it is to buy Instagram - the popular photo-sharing smartphone app.

» 10 Apr 2012
Airlines change flight path to avoid North Korea rocket

Three Asian airlines are making changes to flight paths to avoid a North Korean rocket launch.

» 09 Apr 2012
UK government approved Abdel Hakim Belhaj

The UK government approved the 2004 rendition of a terror suspect to the Gaddafi regime, the BBC can reveal.

» 09 Apr 2012
Peru appeals for help to free trapped miners

Peru's government has appealed to mining companies for heavy equipment and experts to help free nine miners trapped for four days in a copper mine.

» 09 Apr 2012
Another explosion along Egypt to Israel gas pipeline

An explosion has hit the Egyptian pipeline carrying gas to Israel and Jordan on Monday for the 14th time since the uprising against President Hosni Mubarak in 2011...

» 09 Apr 2012
China inflation growth dims hopes of interest rate cut

China's inflation rate grew more-than-forecast in March as higher fuel and food costs pushed up consumer prices.

» 06 Apr 2012
Resistance spread compromising fight against malaria

Scientists have found new evidence that resistance to the front-line treatments for malaria is increasing.

» 06 Apr 2012
Samsung expects profits to double from smartphone boost

Samsung Electronics has said it expects its profit for the first three months of the year to almost double as its smartphone sales continue to grow.

» 06 Apr 2012
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo sever ties with group behind stand-your-ground laws

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have ended their partnerships with a conservative group that supports the spread of restrictive voting laws and stand-your-ground legislation.

» 06 Apr 2012
US Coast Guard sinks tsunami ghost ship

The US Coast Guard has used cannon to sink a crewless Japanese ship that drifted to Alaska after the 2011 tsunami.

» 05 Apr 2012
9/11 planners set for Guantanamo Bay trial

The US has formally sent to trial five suspected al-Qaeda militants believed to have planned the 9/11 terror attacks.

» 05 Apr 2012
US to ease sanctions against Burma

The United States has announced it will further ease sanctions against Burma.

» 05 Apr 2012
New Zealand oil spill ship owners charged

New Zealand authorities have filed charges against the owners of a cargo ship that ran aground on a reef six months ago

» 05 Apr 2012
US soldiers among 10 killed in Afghan suicide bombing

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed at least 10 people, including three American soldiers, at a park in a relatively peaceful area of northern Afghanistan on Wednesday.

» 04 Apr 2012
US ambassador warns Syria regime over violence

America's ambassador to the UN has warned Syria not to intensify violence in the days leading up to a ceasefire proposed by the UN and Arab League.

» 04 Apr 2012
Texas tornadoes wreck homes and ground flights

Several powerful tornadoes have touched down near Dallas, in the US state of Texas, flipping trucks, wrecking homes, uprooting trees and grounding planes.

» 04 Apr 2012
Mitt Romney wins Wisconsin, Maryland and DC but Santorum defiant

Mitt Romney won decisively in three Republican presidential primaries on Tuesday – Wisconsin, Maryland and Washingto...

» 04 Apr 2012
Jihadists in Africa could pose terror threat to UK, warns thinktank

Jihadists exploiting ungoverned spaces across large stretches of north and east Africa present a potential terrorist threat to the UK and could radicalise..

» 03 Apr 2012
US police name suspect in Oakland college shooting

A man believed to have shot dead seven people and injured three others at a California college has been named by police as 43-year-old One Goh.

» 03 Apr 2012
Deadly blaze hits Moscow market warehouse

At least 12 people have been killed after fire swept through a market warehouse in southern Moscow, officials say.

» 03 Apr 2012
US President Obama warns Supreme Court over health law

US President Barack Obama has warned that a rejection of his healthcare reform by the US Supreme Court would amount to "judicial activism".

» 03 Apr 2012
Colombia Farc rebels free 10 soldiers and police

Colombia's main rebel group has freed what it says were its last 10 military and police captives...

» 30 Mar 2012
Apple hit by China Foxconn factory report

An independent investigation has found "significant issues" among working practices at Chinese plants making Apple iPhones and iPads.

» 30 Mar 2012
UK doubles aid to Syria opposition groups

The UK is to double its non-military aid to opponents of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

» 30 Mar 2012
Norway to hand over Indian children in custody row

A child welfare agency in Norway has said it will hand over two Indian children taken into foster care 10 months ago to their uncle.

» 30 Mar 2012
Ecowas gives Mali leaders ultimatum to relinquish power

West African nations have given the leaders of a coup in Mali 72 hours to relinquish power or face sanctions.

» 29 Mar 2012
Pope Benedict criticises US trade embargo on Cuba

Pope Benedict XVI has criticised the 50-year-old US trade embargo imposed on Cuba, as he ends a visit to the island.

» 29 Mar 2012
Obama advisers demand foreign policy answers from Romney campaign team

The first serious exchange of the looming White House election began on Wednesday when Obama's military...

» 29 Mar 2012
Tibetan monk, 20, sets himself on fire in China

A 20-year-old Tibetan monk in western China has become the latest to set himself on fire in protest against the authoritarian government, Tibetan exiles said on Thursday.

» 29 Mar 2012
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos finds Apollo 11 Moon engines

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says he has located the long-submerged F-1 engines that blasted the Apollo 11 Moon mission into space.

» 28 Mar 2012
Hong Kong government wins appeal in maid residency case

The Hong Kong government has won an appeal against a ruling that could have allowed foreign domestic helpers to apply for residency in the city.

» 28 Mar 2012
UN says Haiti quake victims at risk over donor deficit

The United Nations in Haiti has warned that hundreds of thousands of quake victims are at risk due to an aid shortfall.

» 28 Mar 2012
Pope Benedict meets President Raul Castro in Havana

Pope Benedict has met Cuban President Raul Castro on the second day of his visit to the communist-run island.

» 28 Mar 2012
JetBlue plane in emergency landing after captain apparent breakdown

The captain of a JetBlue plane screamed "They're going to take us down!"

» 27 Mar 2012
BP oil spill seriously harmed deep-sea corals, scientists warn

Deep sea corals appear to have been seriously harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to scientists.

» 27 Mar 2012
Easyjet to test allocated seating

Low-cost airlines' signature scramble for seats may soon be a thing of the past after easyJet announced it is to test allocated seating for passengers.

» 27 Mar 2012
Sudan and South Sudan in fierce border clashes

Clashes have broken out between the armed forces of Sudan and South Sudan in several disputed border regions, both sides say.

» 27 Mar 2012
Obama caught on mic telling Medvedev to give US space on nuclear issue

Republican leaders have jumped on Barack Obama after the president made unguarded comments to Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev...

» 26 Mar 2012
James Cameron back on surface after deepest ocean dive

Hollywood director James Cameron has returned to the surface after plunging nearly 11km (seven miles) down to the deepest place in the ocean, the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific.

» 26 Mar 2012
Senegal President-elect Macky Sall hails new era

The winner of Senegal's presidential election, Macky Sall, has said the poll marks a "new era" for the country.

» 26 Mar 2012
Britain asks China to investigate Chongqing death of UK citizen

Britain has asked China to investigate the death of a British man in Chongqing, the south-west Chinese metropolis...

» 26 Mar 2012
Syria unrest: Divided opposition seeks national pact

Syria's divided opposition groups are due to meet in Turkey to try to draw up a "national pact" how to unseat President Bashar al-Assad's government.

» 22 Mar 2012
Renegade Mali soldiers attack Bamako presidential palace

Troops in Mali have attacked the presidential palace in the capital Bamako hours after staging a mutiny.

» 22 Mar 2012
Michael Bloomberg makes $220m pledge to stub out global smoking habit

The mayor of New York has bolstered a global crusade against tobacco with a donation of a quarter of a billion dollars to curb the growth of the industry in low- and middle-income countries.

» 22 Mar 2012
Hundreds gather for Jerusalem funeral of Toulouse shooting victims

Swathed in a white shawl, Jonathan Sandler's body emerged first.

» 22 Mar 2012
Jeb Bush endorses Mitt Romney presidential campaign

Mitt Romney has secured a key endorsement for his presidential bid from former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

» 21 Mar 2012
Victory for Mitt Romney in Illinois Republican primary

Mitt Romney has won the Republican primary in Illinois, his latest win on the road to decide who will contest November's poll against Barack Obama.

» 21 Mar 2012
No proof in Afghan massacre suspect Sgt Bales case

The lawyer representing a US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians in their homes has said there is little proof of his client's guilt.

» 21 Mar 2012
Mexico hit by strong earthquake near Acapulco

A large earthquake has struck near Acapulco on Mexico's Pacific coast.

» 21 Mar 2012
Obama to visit demilitarised zone on Koreas border

President Barack Obama is due to visit the demilitarised zone (DMZ) on South Korea's border with the North on Sunday before a nuclear summit in Seoul.

» 20 Mar 2012
Russia joins Red Cross call for daily truce in Syria

Russia has joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in calling for a daily two-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Syria.

» 20 Mar 2012
UN nuclear watchdog invited to visit North Korea

North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator has confirmed UN nuclear inspectors have been invited to the country for the first time in three years.

» 20 Mar 2012
Egypt in mourning for Coptic Pope Shenouda funeral

Big crowds are expected in the Egyptian capital for the funeral of Coptic Pope Shenouda III,

» 20 Mar 2012
Mexican policemen killed after beheadings

Gunmen in western Mexico have killed 12 policemen investigating the beheadings of 10 other people.

» 19 Mar 2012
Cuban opposition activists arrested in Havana

Cuban police have arrested dozens of opposition activists, a week ahead of a visit by Pope Benedict XVI.

» 19 Mar 2012
British Press TV journalists freed by Libya

Two British journalists detained in Libya after admitting entering the country illegally have been released, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

» 19 Mar 2012
Syrian rebels in Damascus firefight

A firefight is reported to have erupted in Syria's capital, Damascus, between the rebel Free Syria Army and the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

» 19 Mar 2012
Bali police shootout leaves five terror suspects dead

Indonesian police on Bali shot dead five suspected terrorists who had identified and surveyed targets for attack, the national counter-terrorism agency has said.

» 16 Mar 2012
Falkland Islands oil dispute: UK hits back at Argentina

The UK has hit back at Argentina's threats of court action over Falkland Islands oil exploration, calling its behaviour "illegal intimidation".

» 16 Mar 2012
US Afghan accused not healthy - lawyer John Browne

The US soldier accused of shooting dead 16 Afghans had been injured twice while serving in Iraq and was not confident about his health, a lawyer says.

» 16 Mar 2012
Belgian day of national mourning for coach crash victims

Belgium is holding a day of national mourning to remember the victims of the Switzerland coach crash.

» 16 Mar 2012
North Korea to launch satellite for late Kim birthday

North Korea will launch a satellite mounted on a rocket to mark the 100th birthday of its late former President Kim Il-sung, state media reported.

» 15 Mar 2012
Victims of deadly Swiss coach crash mourned

Belgium is mourning the deaths of 28 people - 22 of them children - in a coach crash in Switzerland.

» 15 Mar 2012
David Cameron US tour: PM praises Obama strength

David Cameron has praised Barack Obama's "strength, moral authority and wisdom" as the pair reiterated their nations' "special relationship".

» 15 Mar 2012
Guardian/Mixmag drug survey reveals a generation happy to chance it

"My daily life is sensible, regimented and very stressful, so at the weekend I want the complete opposite," explained James, a financial broker.

» 15 Mar 2012
China ousts Bo Xilai as Chongqing party boss

China has ousted Bo Xilai, the high-profile party boss of a major Chinese city, in the country's biggest political drama for years.

» 14 Mar 2012
David Cameron tells of Syria frustration

David Cameron has said he wants to see peaceful transition of power in Syria, rather than revolution, ahead of talks with US President Barack Obama.

» 14 Mar 2012
Encyclopedia Britannica halts print publication after 244 years

Its legacy winds back through centuries and across continents, past the birth of America to the waning days of the Enlightenment.

» 14 Mar 2012
China Wen Jiabao says sorry after last NPC meeting

Premier Wen Jiabao, in his last National People's Congress (NPC) press conference, has said he was ''sorry'' for economic and social problems in the last decade.

» 14 Mar 2012
Four US banks fail Federal Reserve stress test

Four US financial institutions, including Citigroup, have failed stress tests designed to show they could withstand a financial shock.

» 13 Mar 2012
Tibetan teenager self-immolates on anniversary of failed uprising

A teenage Tibetan monk set himself on fire in protest on the 53rd anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule...

» 13 Mar 2012
Israel and Gaza militants agree truce after clashes

A ceasefire has been agreed between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza after four days of deadly clashes, an Egyptian official says.

» 13 Mar 2012
Scores missing after Bangladesh ferry sinks

Scores of people are missing after a ferry with some 200 people aboard sunk in a river in southern Bangladesh, police say.

» 13 Mar 2012
Cameron and Obama hail relations ahead of PM US visit

David Cameron and Barack Obama have described the "unique and essential" relationship between the US and UK..

» 09 Mar 2012
Oxfam warns of West Africa drought catastrophe

Oxfam says urgent action is needed to stop drought in the Sahel region of West Africa turning into a humanitarian disaster affecting 13 million people.

» 09 Mar 2012
Coke and Pepsi alter recipe to avoid cancer warning label

Coca-Cola and Pepsi are changing the recipes for their drinks to avoid putting a cancer warning label on the bottle, to comply with California laws.

» 09 Mar 2012
International Women Day in tweets

The novelist Linda Grant marked the importance of International Women's Day, noting how when she was applying for a store credit card in 1979..

» 09 Mar 2012
Gordon Brown launches campaign to reduce number of child brides

Child marriage is a one-way ticket to a life of poverty, illiteracy and powerlessness for girls and the international community needs to take urgent action to stop it..

» 08 Mar 2012
Fears of disruption as big solar storm set to hit Earth

A strong solar storm is expected to hit Earth shortly, and experts warn it could disrupt power grids, satellite navigations systems and plane routes.

» 08 Mar 2012
Romney rivals Santorum and Gingrich spurn calls to quit

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign says his rivals cannot catch him in the race for the Republican nomination after Super Tuesday.

» 08 Mar 2012
Former US soldier accused of trying to join Somali terror group

former US soldier has been indicted on charges that he tried to join a terrorist organisation in Somalia.

» 08 Mar 2012
Colombia Santos: Cuba not invited to Americas Summit

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says Cuba will not be invited the Americas Summit in Colombia next month.

» 07 Mar 2012
Super Tuesday fight close in Ohio

Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are locked in a tight battle for the state of Ohio, Super Tuesday's most coveted prize.

» 07 Mar 2012
Syria crisis: Obama rejects US military intervention

President Barack Obama has described the situation in Syria as "heartbreaking" but said that unilateral US military intervention there would be a mistake.

» 07 Mar 2012
Fewer premature births after smoking ban in Scotland

Since Scotland introduced a ban on smoking in public places in 2006 there has been a 10% drop in the country's premature birth rate, say researchers.

» 07 Mar 2012
North Korea nuclear reactor satellite picture show progress

A newly released satellite image shows that North Korea has made progress in building a light-water reactor...

» 06 Mar 2012
US Attorney General justifies terrorism kill policy

The US has for the first time outlined when it will kill Americans who are plotting attacks against the country.

» 06 Mar 2012
Third Tibetan self-immolates in three days in China

A Tibetan youth has burned himself to death in south western China, the third self-immolation in three day...

» 06 Mar 2012
Thousands evacuate NSW towns as floods continue in Australia

Vast areas of Australia's east and southeast are facing devastating flooding after weeks of heavy rain.

» 06 Mar 2012
Roger Waters denies saying Falkands should belong to Argentina

Rock star Roger Waters has denied saying that the Falklands should belong to Argentina, posting on Facebook "I said nothing of the kind".

» 05 Mar 2012
China Premier Wen opens National People Congress

Premier Wen Jiabao has opened China's annual National People's Congress (NPC) with a speech focused on the economy and a boost to military spending...

» 05 Mar 2012
Tibetan woman burns herself to death in Sichuan

A Tibetan mother-of-four has died after setting herself on fire in south-west China, activists and exiles say.

» 05 Mar 2012
Obama warns of force against Iran, but urges diplomacy

President Barack Obama says the US "will not hesitate" to use force to stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, but says diplomacy could still succeed.

» 05 Mar 2012
Climate change could make Canada traditional street hockey extinct

A quintessentially Canadian winter tradition – outdoor street hockey – could be facing extinction within decades because of climate change, a new study says.

» 02 Mar 2012
Oil price jumps to 43-month high on Saudi blast reports

Analysts said all these issues had created an uncertainty over oil supplies and the latest reports had only fanned those fears further.

» 02 Mar 2012
Iran holds parliamentary election

Voters in Iran are taking part in elections to choose the 290 members of the legislative chambers, the Majlis.

» 02 Mar 2012
Paris fashion week: Balenciaga gets down to business

Paris fashion week, bastion of the art of cerebral dressing, is the last place you would expect a designer to cite anything so pedestrian...

» 02 Mar 2012
Syria deadly neighbourhood and the desperate attempts to escape

In the bitterly cold darkness of last Sunday morning, four western reporters and a group of activists protecting them made a decision they had twice tried to avoid...

» 01 Mar 2012
US Midwest storm leaves 12 dead and dozens injured

At least 12 people have been killed by a storm system in the US Midwest that brought devastation to parts of Illinois, Missouri and Kansas.

» 01 Mar 2012
Syria forces assault Baba Amr quarter in besieged Homs

The fate of the besieged Baba Amr quarter in the Syrian city of Homs remains unclear after government troops launched a ground offensive on rebels.

» 01 Mar 2012
Nato can overcome Koran protests setback - commander

Recent protests sparked by the burning of the Koran by US soldiers were a "setback", Nato's commander in Afghanistan has told the BBC.

» 01 Mar 2012
Google implements privacy policy despite EU warning

Internet company Google has gone ahead with its new privacy policy despite warnings from the EU that it might violate European law.

» 29 Feb 2012
Mitt Romney heads to wins in Arizona and Michigan

US Republican White House contender Mitt Romney has pulled off a double win in the Michigan and Arizona primaries.

» 29 Feb 2012
Pentagon: 9/11 victims remains went to landfill

Partial remains of some victims of the 11 September attacks ended up in landfill, a Pentagon report has found.

» 29 Feb 2012
Interpol website suffers Anonymous cyber-attack

Interpol's website appears to have been the victim of a cyber-attack after the international police agency..

» 29 Feb 2012
Stricken Costa cruise ship off Seychelles changes route

The Italian cruise ship left adrift with more than 1,000 people on board after a power failure now faces a longer journey before reaching land.

» 28 Feb 2012
Italian cruise ship adrift off Seychelles taken in tow

A cruise ship left adrift in the Indian Ocean with more than 1,000 people on board following a power failure, has been taken in tow.

» 28 Feb 2012
HSBC faces potential £3bn UK tax bill if it loses HM Revenue and Customs case

HSBC, the UK's biggest bank, has admitted it faces a potential tax bill of up to up to $4.9bn (£3bn) if it loses an ongoing case with HM Revenue and Customs.

» 28 Feb 2012
Japan retail sales boosted by surge in demand for cars

Japan's retail sales rose more-than-expected in January driven up by a surge in car sales as government subsidies on energy efficient cars boosted demand.

» 28 Feb 2012
St Paul protest: Occupy London camp evicted

Police and bailiffs have moved in to remove tents from the Occupy London camp at St Paul's Cathedral.

» 27 Feb 2012
World shortest man found in Nepal

Nepal is not only home to the world's highest peak but the world's shortest man.

» 27 Feb 2012
Unlimited human eggs potential for fertility treatment

It may be possible to one day create an "unlimited" supply of human eggs to aid fertility treatment, US doctors say.

» 27 Feb 2012
The Artist wins best picture at the Oscars

Silent movie The Artist has won best picture, best director for Michel Hazanavicius and best actor for Jean Dujardin at the Oscars.

» 27 Feb 2012
Afghan airport hit by suicide car bombing

At least six people have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack at Jalalabad airport in eastern Afghanistan, police say.

» 24 Feb 2012
Australia leadership: Rudd and Gillard set for showdown

Kevin Rudd will stand against Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Monday's Labor Party leadership ballot, he has confirmed.

» 24 Feb 2012
Wikileaks suspect Bradley Manning enters no plea

The US Army private accused of leaking classified documents to Wikileaks has chosen not to enter a plea at the start of his court martial.

» 24 Feb 2012
Gay marriage close to becoming legal in Maryland

Gay marriage is all but legalised in the state of Maryland after the legislature gave its final agreement on Thursday to the law..

» 24 Feb 2012
Syria faces ultimatum from international conference

A major world conference is being held in Tunisia to seek a breakthrough in the increasingly bitter Syrian unrest.

» 23 Feb 2012
Argentina train crash in Buenos Aires kills dozens

Some 49 people have been killed and at least 600 injured, officials say, in the worst train crash in Argentina in 40 years.

» 23 Feb 2012
Karzai urges calm in Afghanistan Koran burning row

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called on Afghans "not to resort to violence" over the burning of copies of the Koran at a US airbase near Kabul.

» 23 Feb 2012
Scientist who lied to obtain Heartland documents faces fight to save job

The career and reputation of the scientist behind the Heartland Institute exposé was in jeopardy on Wednesday night...

» 23 Feb 2012
Syria unrest: Reporters deaths spark Western outrage

The killings of two Western reporters in the city of Homs and reported deaths of some 60 people across Syria have triggered..

» 22 Feb 2012
Venezuela Hugo Chavez faces new operation

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said that he will have to have further surgery after doctors found a lesion during medical tests in Cuba.

» 22 Feb 2012
New Zealand remembers 2011 Christchurch quake victims

People across New Zealand have been holding memorial services to remember the 185 people who died in a powerful earthquake in Christchurch a year ago.

» 22 Feb 2012
Australia largest rough pink diamond unearthed

An Australian mining company says it has found a 12.76-carat pink diamond, the largest rough pink diamond found in the country.

» 22 Feb 2012
Older mothers may be more prone to depression than younger women

Women who have children later in life may face a higher risk of depression than younger mothers...

» 17 Feb 2012
Syria crisis: UN assembly adopts Arab-backed resolution

The UN General Assembly has voted in favour of a resolution condemning human rights violations in Syria and calling for an end to the violence.

» 17 Feb 2012
UK and France sign nuclear energy agreement

The UK is to sign a deal with France to strengthen co-operation in the development of civil nuclear energy.

» 17 Feb 2012
Japan

Japan's Emperor Akihito has been admitted to a Tokyo hospital for coronary bypass surgery.

» 17 Feb 2012
Underwear bomber Abdulmutallab sentenced to life

A Nigerian man accused of trying to bomb a US-bound flight on Christmas Day 2009 has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

» 16 Feb 2012
Honduras prison fire: Porfirio Lobo vows full inquiry

Honduras President Porfirio Lobo has pledged a "full and transparent" investigation after a fire at a jail killed more than 350 inmates.

» 16 Feb 2012
Qantas profit dips 83% amid strikes and high fuel costs

Qantas has said it will close some international routes and cut almost 500 jobs after its profits were hit by an industrial dispute and rising fuel costs.

» 16 Feb 2012
Plight of young brides in Kashmir, sold to older strangers for a pittance

Knees pressed against her chest, Sakina huddles near the window of a sparsely furnished house.

» 16 Feb 2012
North Korea marks late leader Kim Jong-il birthday

North Korea is marking the 70th birthday of late leader Kim Jong-il, also dubbed the "day of the shining star".

» 15 Feb 2012
Greece has made super human sacrifices, says minister

Greece's public order minister has said the government has made "superhuman" efforts to comply with austerity demands made by the Eurozone.

» 15 Feb 2012
China Vice-President Xi Jinping in US visit

China's leader-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, has defended his country's human rights record, during a visit to Washington.

» 15 Feb 2012
Cash payments help cut HIV infection rate in young women, study finds

Regular small cash payments to girls and young women can enable them to resist the attentions of older men and avoid HIV infection, according to a new study.

» 15 Feb 2012
Poor diet kills 2.6 million infants a year, says survey by Save the Children

Malnutrition is the root cause of the deaths of 2.6 million children each year, and the bodies and brains of 450 million...

» 14 Feb 2012
Whitney Houston found underwater in bath

Whitney Houston was underwater and unconscious when she was found in a bath in her Los Angeles hotel room on Saturday, according to police.

» 14 Feb 2012
Protests on eve of Bahrain uprising anniversary

Bahraini security forces have fired teargas and stun grenades at protesters gathered ahead of the first anniversary of pro-democracy demonstrations.

» 14 Feb 2012
Abu Qatada release from Long Lartin jail sparks furore

Abu Qatada, accused of being one of the UK's most dangerous extremist preachers, has been released from Long Lartin top-security jail in Evesham.

» 14 Feb 2012
Obama proposed budget trims little from Pentagon spending

The White House proposes only a small cut to the Pentagon's budget next year but says that tens of billions of dollar..

» 13 Feb 2012
Syria rejects new Arab League peace mission proposal

Syria has "categorically rejected" an Arab League resolution calling for a joint Arab-UN peacekeeping mission to end the country's 11-month conflict.

» 13 Feb 2012
Greek MPs pass austerity plan amid violent protests

Greece's parliament has passed a controversial package of austerity measures, demanded by the eurozone and IMF in return for a 130bn-euro ($170bn; £110bn) bailout to avoid default.

» 13 Feb 2012
Bali bombing suspect Umar Patek on trial in Indonesia

Umar Patek, an alleged mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombing that killed 202 people, has gone on trial in Indonesia.

» 13 Feb 2012
Henrique Capriles to face Hugo Chávez in Venezuela presidential election

A youthful state governor is set to give Hugo Chávez a tough battle for Venezuela's presidency after sweeping the opposition nomination in primary elections.

» 10 Feb 2012
Steve Jobs FBI files question his honesty and morality

The FBI files of Steve Jobs have been released, showing a man who commanded respect as an innovator but was questioned on his honesty and morality

» 10 Feb 2012
Greece bailout: Eurozone ministers set new conditions

The chairman of a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers says fresh conditions will be attached to a 130bn euro ($170bn; £110bn) bailout for Greece.

» 10 Feb 2012
Burmese protest leader monk Gambira taken away

The Burmese monk Shin Gambira has been taken away by authorities, sources told the BBC's Burmese service.

» 10 Feb 2012
US military to ease curbs on women in combat roles

The US military has announced plans to ease restrictions on women serving in combat roles.

» 10 Feb 2012
Tropical Strom GIOVANNA

THE MODERATE TROPICAL STORM GIOVANNA HAS FURTHER INTENSIFIED INTO A SEVERE TROPICAL STORM.

» 09 Feb 2012
UN

UN chief Ban Ki-moon says the Arab League plans to revive its mission to Syria, and has sought help from the UN.

» 09 Feb 2012
New Zealand quake: CTV building was sub-standard

A building that collapsed during last year's Christchurch earthquake was sub-standard, an official report has found.

» 09 Feb 2012
Obama contraception rules under fire from Congress and religious groups

Barack Obama has come under a barrage of criticism from Congress and religious organisations...

» 09 Feb 2012
Apache helicopter – an army tool suited to Afghan mission

The army regards the Apache helicopter as the attack aircraft of choice in Afghanistan.

» 08 Feb 2012
Syria crisis: Gulf Arab states expel Syrian ambassadors

Gulf Arab states say they are expelling Syrian ambassadors in their countries and recalling their envoys from Syria.

» 08 Feb 2012
Argentina to raise Falklands UK militarisation at UN

Argentina is to make a formal complaint to the United Nations about British "militarisation" around the disputed Falkland Islands.

» 08 Feb 2012
China anti-gang police chief placed on stress leave

Chinese authorities have announced that a high profile official is receiving "vacation-style treatment" due to stress...

» 08 Feb 2012
Rising temperatures at Fukushima raise questions over stability of nuclear plant

Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant say they are regaining control of a reactor after its temperature rose dramatically this week..

» 06 Feb 2012
Greece crisis talks over EU bailout to resume

Party leaders in Greece's governing coalition are to resume crisis talks on backing a 130bn-euro (£108bn; $171bn) European Union rescue plan.

» 06 Feb 2012
US and Israel working together on Iran, says Obama

The US is working closely with Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, President Barack Obama has said.

» 06 Feb 2012
Daniel Radcliffe ends support for Liberal Democrats

Daniel Radcliffe has announced that he is no longer a supporter of the Liberal Democrats after emerging as one of the party's most high-profile celebrity backers..

» 06 Feb 2012
China bans airlines from joining EU carbon scheme

China has "banned" all airlines in the country from joining the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) aimed at cutting carbon emissions.

» 03 Feb 2012
Towns cut off in eastern Australia flooding

Severe flooding is threatening parts of New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia, with towns cut off and thousands of residents evacuated.

» 03 Feb 2012
Egypt unrest: Two shot dead in clashes after football deaths

Two people have been killed and more than 400 injured in protests across Egypt sparked by the deaths of 74 people after a football match.

» 03 Feb 2012
Malaria deaths hugely underestimated - Lancet study

Worldwide malaria deaths may be almost twice as high as previously estimated, a study reports.

» 03 Feb 2012
Prince William arrives in the Falkland Islands

Prince William has arrived in the Falkland Islands amid simmering tensions between Britain and Argentina over the disputed territory.

» 02 Feb 2012
Egypt football violence leaves many dead in Port Said

At least 74 people have been killed in clashes between rival fans following a football match in the Egyptian city of Port Said.

» 02 Feb 2012
Ferry sinks off Papua New Guinea

A ferry carrying an estimated 300 passengers has sunk off the north coast of Papua New Guinea, officials have confirmed.

» 02 Feb 2012
Facebook unveils $5bn stock market flotation plans

The world's largest social networking site, Facebook, has announced plans for a stock market flotation.

» 02 Feb 2012
Israel military chief: Iran bomb plans must be disrupted

Israel must exploit its offensive capabilities in the battle against its enemies and "adapt our patterns of operations" to contend with new challenges...

» 31 Jan 2012
EU summit: UK and Czechs refuse to join fiscal compact

Twenty-five of the EU's 27 member states have agreed to join a fiscal treaty to enforce budget discipline.

» 31 Jan 2012
Deaths in Ukraine and Poland in freezing Europe weather

At least 18 people have died in Ukraine and 10 in Poland after heavy snow fall and a sudden drop in temperatures across east Europe.

» 31 Jan 2012
Western pressure on Syria grows ahead of UN debate

Western countries are preparing to push for a tough resolution at a UN Security Council meeting on the crisis in Syria.

» 31 Jan 2012
Obama says he will help unemployed engineer find job during video hangout

Barack Obama promised to help an unemployed engineer find a job during an online video "hangout" to answer questions posted on YouTube and by text.

» 30 Jan 2012
Afghan President Hamid Karzai plans talks with Taliban

The Afghan government is planning to meet the Taliban in Saudi Arabia in an attempt to jump-start peace talks, the BBC has learned.

» 30 Jan 2012
Euro crisis hangs over latest EU summit

The eurozone crisis will dominate an EU summit on Monday, with an emphasis on growth and "smart" budget discipline.

» 30 Jan 2012
Testicular zap may stop sperm

A dose of ultrasound to the testicles can stop the production of sperm, according to researchers investigating a new form of contraception.

» 30 Jan 2012
China says it has lost contact with construction workers held in Sudan

China's embassy in Sudan has lost contact with 29 Chinese construction workers held by rebels in the troubled border state...

» 27 Jan 2012
Republican presidential candidates spar in TV debate

Republican front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have clashed at a debate in Florida, the last before the key state's primary.

» 27 Jan 2012
PIP breast implant boss Jean-Claude Mas charged

The owner of a French breast implant maker that sparked a safety scare has been charged with "involuntary injury", his lawyer says.

» 27 Jan 2012
US to cut almost 100,000 troops

The US will cut almost 100,000 troops as part of its plans for a "smaller, leaner" military, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has announced.

» 27 Jan 2012
Cocaine seized at UN in New York

A shipment containing 16 kilograms of cocaine was seized last week at the United Nations's mail intake centre...

» 26 Jan 2012
Soldiers oust Papua New Guinea defence chief

Soldiers in Papua New Guinea say they have taken control of the military and ousted the defence chief, reports say.

» 26 Jan 2012
UN concerns over Libya militias and secret detention

Libyan militias are out of control and holding thousands of people in secret detention centres...

» 26 Jan 2012
Iran wolud not build nuclear weapon in 2012, says draft Isis report

Iran is unlikely to move towards building a nuclear weapon in 2012 because it cannot yet produce enough weapon-grade uranium..

» 26 Jan 2012
Cloaking a 3-D object from all angles demonstrated

Researchers have "cloaked" a three-dimensional object, making it invisible from all angles, for the first time.

» 25 Jan 2012
Obama urges economic fairness in State of the Union

US President Barack Obama has attacked income inequality as he set the tone for his re-election bid in his third State of the Union speech.

» 25 Jan 2012
Japan posts first annual trade deficit in 30 years

Japan has announced its first annual trade deficit in more than 30 years, a setback for a country known for its exports including cars and electronics.

» 25 Jan 2012
Google user data to be merged across all sites under contentious plan

Google is under fire for plans to collect data on individual users across all of its websites...

» 25 Jan 2012
US marine in Haditha case should serve no time

A US marine who admitted charges linked to the killing of 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians in 2005 should face no time in detention, a judge has recommended.

» 24 Jan 2012
Costa Concordia: Bodies found as fuel pumping to start

Searchers have found the bodies of two women on the wreck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia, bringing the confirmed death toll to 15.

» 24 Jan 2012
Iran: EU oil sanctions unfair and doomed to fail

Iran has said an oil embargo adopted by European Union foreign ministers over the country's nuclear programme is "unfair" and "doomed to fail".

» 24 Jan 2012
Newt Gingrich receives $5m boost as he releases Freddie Mac contract

Newt Gingrich received a major financial boost on Monday when the family who donated $5m to an organisation supporting his campaign earlier this month gave another $5m.

» 24 Jan 2012
China year of the dragon a textbook golden age

For the Chinese community across the world, today is the beginning of the New Year festival, but how will China fare in the year of the dragon?

» 20 Jan 2012
South Carolina debate: Newt Gingrich fury at media

US Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich has angrily denied a report that he once wanted an "open marriage"...

» 20 Jan 2012
Megaupload file-sharing site shut down

Megaupload, one of the internet's largest file-sharing sites, has been shut down by officials in the US.

» 20 Jan 2012
IMF warns of threat to global economies posed by austerity drives

The leaders of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation...

» 20 Jan 2012
Costa Concordia disaster: Crew urged return to cabins

A video has emerged showing the crew of the Costa Concordia reassuring passengers nothing was wrong, after the cruise ship had begun taking in water.

» 19 Jan 2012
Beer must be sold at Brazil World Cup, says Fifa

Beer must be sold at all venues hosting matches in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, football's world governing body, Fifa, has insisted.

» 19 Jan 2012
Pakistan PM Gilani faces contempt case at Supreme Court

Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani has arrived at the country's Supreme Court amid tight security to face contempt proceedings.

» 19 Jan 2012
Unsafe abortions rising globally

The number of unsafe abortions is rising around the world, while what appeared to be a steady decline in abortion rates...

» 19 Jan 2012
Shale oil and gas will make US self-sufficient

Growth in shale oil and gas supplies will make the US virtually self-sufficient in energy by 2030, according to a BP report published on Wednesday.

» 18 Jan 2012
Slow response to East Africa famine cost

Thousands of needless deaths occurred from famine in East Africa last year because the international community...

» 18 Jan 2012
Costa Concordia salvage to begin

Salvage work is expected to begin later on Wednesday on the Costa Concordia, as hopes fade that any more survivors will be found on the striken cruise ship.

» 18 Jan 2012
World Bank warns of global recession

The World Bank has has warned that the crisis in the eurozone will lead to a sharp slowdown in growth in rich and poor countries...

» 18 Jan 2012
Foreign tourists killed in Ethiopia

Gunmen have killed five foreign tourists in Ethiopia's remote northern Afar region, after crossing into the country from neighbouring Eritrea, an Ethiopian official said.

» 17 Jan 2012
Fears grow for Concordia missing

Emergency crews are working through the night around the wreck of a stricken cruise ship, but fears are growing for the 29 people still missing.

» 17 Jan 2012
Australia enjoys China-fuelled boom

At an Australian house auction, it does not take long for the numbers to reach and then pass seven figures.

» 17 Jan 2012
Fake malaria drugs could put millions at risk

Fake and poor quality anti-malarial drugs are threatening efforts to control the disease in Africa and could put millions of lives at risk, scientists say.

» 17 Jan 2012
Zappos database hit by cyberattack

Hackers have struck Zappos, the online shoe retailer, putting at risk the sensitive information from its database of 24 million customers.

» 16 Jan 2012
Cruise captain committed errors, say ship owners

The company operating a cruise ship that capsized after hitting rocks off western Italy on Friday says the captain may have "committed errors".

» 16 Jan 2012
Nigeria fuel prices: Weekend talks fail to reach deal

The latest round of talks between Nigeria's president and trade unions have ended with no sign of a compromise over the removal of fuel subsidies.

» 16 Jan 2012
Two die as Libya miliitias clash near Tripoli

A weekend of clashes in Libya has left at least two people dead and more than 40 injured.

» 16 Jan 2012
Nazi-themed drinking game sparked brawl on LSE union skiing trip

The London School of Economics is investigating allegations that a Nazi-themed drinking game led to a brawl in which a Jewish student's nose was broken.

» 13 Jan 2012
US Marines identify urination troops

At least two of four US Marines shown in a video appearing to urinate on Taliban corpses have been identified, a Marine Corps official has told the BBC.

» 13 Jan 2012
Burma begins releasing prisoners amid high hopes

Burma has begun releasing more prisoners, amid expectations that a number of prominent dissidents could be among them.

» 13 Jan 2012
Disruption at Beijing store on iPhone 4S launch

The launch of Apple's latest iPhone 4S in China has been marred by disruptions, news reports said.

» 13 Jan 2012
Egypt declares national holiday to mark revolution first anniversary

Egypt's ruling generals have declared 25 January – the date last year upon which revolution erupted...

» 12 Jan 2012
US condemns bomb attack on Iran nuclear scientist

The US has condemned the killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist in a car bomb attack in north Tehran.

» 12 Jan 2012
Kim Jong-il to be embalmed and put on display, says North Korea

Not satisfied with safeguarding Kim Jong-il's ideological legacy through the anointment of his youngest son, Kim Jong-un...

» 12 Jan 2012
Exoplanets are around every star, study suggests

Every star twinkling in the night sky plays host to at least one planet, a new study suggests.

» 12 Jan 2012
Twitter unhappy about Google social search changes

Twitter has complained about changes made by Google to integrate its social network Google+ into search results.

» 11 Jan 2012
New Hampshire primary: Romney claims victory

Mitt Romney has taken a step closer to the Republican Party presidential nomination after claiming victory in the New Hampshire primary.

» 11 Jan 2012
Doomsday Clock moves one minute closer to midnight

The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic gauge of nuclear danger, has moved one minute closer to midnight because of "inadequate progress" on nuclear and climate issues.

» 11 Jan 2012
Nicolas Steno Google doodle marks his 374th birth anniversary

Nicolas Steno, the Danish anatomist widely regarded as the father of geology, has been commemorated in a Google doodle marking his 374th birth anniversary on 11 January.

» 11 Jan 2012
Three believed dead in S Korean boat fire in Antarctic

Three crew members are thought to have died on a South Korean fishing boat that caught fire in Antarctica.

» 10 Jan 2012
North Korea announces prisoner amnesty

North Korea says it will grant an amnesty for prisoners to mark the birthdays of two late leaders.

» 10 Jan 2012
The authors who are going it alone online - and winning

"Company policy, not mine. Were it up to me, we would. The revolution is not yet complete."

» 10 Jan 2012
Migrants do not affect jobless levels, say researchers

Immigration to Britain has had little or no impact on the overall levels of unemployment, even during the recent recession, according to research published on Tuesday.

» 10 Jan 2012
New Hampshire primary: Republicans face voters verdict

New Hampshire voters are picking a Republican presidential candidate as the US state hosts the first primary of this year's election season.

» 09 Jan 2012
Nigeria president fears some officials back Boko Haram

Nigeria's president has said for the first time he thinks sympathisers of the Islamist Boko Haram group are in his government and security agencies.

» 09 Jan 2012
Alien hunters: Searching for life

The hunt for signals from intelligent extraterrestrials has been in full swing for half a century.

» 09 Jan 2012
Anwar Ibrahim sodomy charge dismissed by Malaysian judge

A Malaysian court has acquitted the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy charges in a shock ruling that could fast-forward the former...

» 09 Jan 2012
Nelson Mandela life story to be turned into TV drama

The life of Nelson Mandela is to be the subject of a $20m (£13m) TV mini-series spanning six decades...

» 06 Jan 2012
Obama unveils new strategy for leaner US military

The US military will become "leaner" while maintaining superiority as it switches focus to the Asia-Pacific, US President Barack Obama has announced.

» 06 Jan 2012
Inside North Korea: The day Kim Jong-il gave me a Rolex

As part of North Korea's propaganda machine, Jang Jin-sung spent his career writing eulogies of Kim Jong-il, before growing disillusioned and fleeing to South Korea in 2004.

» 06 Jan 2012
Turkey Ergenekon plot: Ex-army chief arrest ordered

A Turkish court has ordered a former head of armed forces to be remanded in custody pending trial for an alleged plot to overthrow the government.

» 06 Jan 2012
Just-in-time business models put UK at greater risk in event of disasters, warns thinktank

The UK could stand "at most a week" of disruption if a natural or man-made disaster struck before severe problems, economic and social, that would bring chaos..

» 29 Dec 2011
US warns Iran over threat to block oil route

The US Navy has said it will not tolerate disruption to a vital oil-trade route, following an Iranian threat to close it.

» 29 Dec 2011
North Korea holds memorial service for Kim Jong-il

North Korea is holding another day of national mourning for late leader Kim Jong-il, a day after his elaborate funeral.

» 29 Dec 2011
Syria unrest continues as Arab League monitors fan out

Arab League monitors overseeing compliance with a peace plan have been fanning out to cover various parts of Syria amid continuing anti-government violence.

» 29 Dec 2011
Venezuela sees record murder rate in 2011

A Venezuelan campaign group says the country has suffered a record number of murders in 2011.

» 28 Dec 2011
North Korea holds two-day state funeral for Kim Jong-il

North Korea has begun two days of funeral services for late leader Kim Jong-il with a huge procession in the capital, Pyongyang.

» 28 Dec 2011
Art that enlivens Paris urban landscape

Contemporary French photographer Jean-Paul Goude, whose humourous and striking images have been part of Paris’ urban landscape for the last decade, has been honoured with his first retrospective in Paris -- Goudemalion -- showing at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs until 18 March 2012.

» 28 Dec 2011
Israelis rally against ultra-Orthodox extremism

Thousands of Israelis have held a rally in the town of Beit Shemesh against ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremism.

» 28 Dec 2011
Cristina Kirchner to be treated for thyroid cancer

The Argentinian president, Cristina Kirchner, is to be operated on in January for thyroid cancer, according to a spokesman.

» 27 Dec 2011
Philippines flash floods death toll nears 1,500

Almost 1,500 people are now known to have died in flash floods that struck the southern Philippines more than a week ago.

» 27 Dec 2011
Ethiopia jails Swedish journalists on terror charges

Two Swedish journalists have been jailed for 11 years in Ethiopia for entering the country illegally and supporting terrorism.

» 23 Dec 2011
Iraq: Hashemi blames PM Maliki for Baghdad blasts

Iraq's Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi has said Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is to blame for a sudden surge of violence in the country.

» 23 Dec 2011
New Zealand Christchurch hit by series of earthquakes

A series of strong earthquakes struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, ten months after an earlier quake devastated the city centre.

» 23 Dec 2011
North Korea to admit all South Korean mourners

North Korea says it will accept all South Korean delegations wishing to pay respects to late leader Kim Jong-il.

» 23 Dec 2011
US $10m bounty for al-Qaeda man based in Iran

The United States has offered a reward of $10m (£6.3m) for information leading to the arrest of a man they say is a key al-Qaeda facilitator and financier.

» 22 Dec 2011
Syria unrest: Arab League observers set to arrive

Monitors from the Arab League are due to arrive in Syria under a initiative aimed at ending the violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

» 22 Dec 2011
Powers behind N Korea new general

Kim Jong-il's third son, Kim Jong-un, is the clearly anointed and intended successor of the North Korean leadership.

» 22 Dec 2011
Mexican authorities disband Veracruz police force in bid to stem corruption

The entire police force in the Mexican port of Veracruz was dissolved on Wednesday in an effort to root out corruption, and armed marines were sent in to patrol.

» 22 Dec 2011
France debates Armenia genocide despite Turkish anger

France's parliament is due to debate a bill that would make it a crime to deny that the killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during WWI was genocide.

» 21 Dec 2011
Biden urges Iraq leaders to resolve sectarian disputes

US Vice-President Joe Biden has urged Iraqi leaders to work together to avert renewed sectarian strife.

» 21 Dec 2011
Syria crisis: Scores reported killed as violence grows

Scores of people have been killed in Syria, opposition activists say, in a second day of heavy bloodshed.

» 21 Dec 2011
Egyptian women protest in Cairo against brutal treatment

Hundreds of women have taken to the streets of Cairo to protest against military rule and the brutal treatment of female protesters by Egypt's security services.

» 21 Dec 2011
Prosecutors raid the HQ of Olympus in earnings probe

Japanese prosecutors have raided the headquarters of camera and medical equipment maker Olympus as part of an ongoing investigation.

» 20 Dec 2011
US talks over Kim Jong-il death

The US has called on North Korea to pursue a "path of peace" following the death of leader Kim Jong-il.

» 20 Dec 2011
Philippine authorities bury 700 after floods

Number of people missing in Philippines floods varies widely as many of the dead in Iligan pile up outside morgues.

» 20 Dec 2011
Arrest warrant for Iraq Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi

Iraqi authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the mainly Shia country's Sunni vice-president, leading to fears of the government's collapse and an increase in sectarian tensions.

» 20 Dec 2011
Gay couple sue Hawaiian bed and breakfast for discrimination

Two Southern California women have filed a lawsuit against a Hawaii bed and breakfast, saying the business denied them a room because they are gay.

» 19 Dec 2011
N Korean leader Kim Jong-il dies

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died at the age of 69, state-run television has announced.

» 19 Dec 2011
Image of unknown woman beaten by Egypt military echoes around world

The woman is young, and slim, and fair. She lies on her back surrounded by four soldiers, two of whom are dragging her by the arms raised above her head.

» 19 Dec 2011
Australia to aid Indonesia asylum boat search

Australia has sent a plane and a ship to help search for scores of people believed missing after a boat carrying asylum-seekers sank off Indonesia.

» 19 Dec 2011
Mass burial for Philippines floods victims

A mass burial has been organised in the Philippines for scores of people killed by flash floods on the southern island of Mindanao.

» 16 Dec 2011
IMF warns that world risks sliding into a 1930s-style slump

The world risks sliding into a 1930s-style slump unless countries settle their differences and work together to tackle Europe's deepening debt crisis, the head of the International Monetary Fund has warned.

» 16 Dec 2011
Gay marriage improves health

Legalising same-sex marriage may create a healthier environment for gay men, say US researchers.

» 16 Dec 2011
Syria crisis: Russia circulates surprise UN resolution

Russia has circulated a UN Security Council resolution aimed at ending the crisis in Syria, in a move that surprised the Western nations.

» 16 Dec 2011
Japan to declare cold shut-down at Fukushima

Japan is set to announce that engineers have brought the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant to a "cold shut-down condition", nine months after the earthquake and tsunami.

» 15 Dec 2011
US flag ceremony to mark end of Iraq war role

The US flag is to be lowered in Baghdad, formally marking the end of US military operations in Iraq after nearly nine years of war.

» 15 Dec 2011
China protest in Guangdong Wukan vanishes from web

China's internet censors have blocked searches relating to an ongoing protest in the village of Wukan, web users say.

» 15 Dec 2011
Iran criticised over capital punishment killing spree

Iran has escalated its use of the capital punishment to what has been called "a killing spree of staggering proportions" in an effort to contain drug-related crimes amid concerns about the west's continuing support for the regime's anti-narcotics campaign, according to a report.

» 15 Dec 2011
Jacques Chirac awaits verdict in Paris corruption trial

A Paris court is to give its verdict in a long-running corruption trial against former President Jacques Chirac.

» 14 Dec 2011
Human Rights Watch accuses Alabama of violating constitution

Human Rights Watch says law HB56 breaches rights that apply to anyone living in America regardless of their origin

» 14 Dec 2011
Liege attack: Belgian police search for gunman motive

Police in Belgium are trying to determine what motivated a local man to open fire on a busy marketplace in Liege, killing at least four people.

» 14 Dec 2011
Iran reject US request to return captured drone

Iran has rejected a US call for the return of a surveillance drone captured by Iran's military earlier this month.

» 14 Dec 2011
Hong Kong most developed financial market, says WEF

Hong Kong is the world's most developed financial market, according to a World Economic Forum report, overtaking the US and the UK for the first time.

» 13 Dec 2011
Syria death toll exceeds 5,000, says UN

More than 5,000 people are now believed to have been killed in the uprising in Syria, the UN's top human rights official has said.

» 13 Dec 2011
Canada to withdraw from Kyoto Protocol

Canada will formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the minister of the environment has said.

» 13 Dec 2011
Indian billionaire Ravi Ruia charged over mobile licences

Ravikant Ruia, the Indian billionaire, former Vodafone business partner and chairman of London blue chip stock Essar Energy, has been charged with "criminal conspiracy"..

» 13 Dec 2011
US asks Iran to return captured drone

President Barack Obama has said the US government has requested that Tehran return the surveillance drone captured by Iran's military earlier this month.

» 12 Dec 2011
David Cameron to face MPs in Commons over EU veto

David Cameron will face MPs later to explain his decision to veto EU treaty changes, the day after his deputy PM said the move was "bad for Britain".

» 12 Dec 2011
Unemployment is world fastest-rising fear, BBC finds

A BBC World Service survey covering 11,000 people in 23 countries found unemployment was the world's fastest-rising worry.

» 12 Dec 2011
Global climate change treaty in sight after Durban breakthrough

The world is on track for a comprehensive global treaty on climate change for the first time after agreement was reached at talks in Durban, South Africa in the early hours of Sunday morning.

» 12 Dec 2011
Putin and Medvedev try to calm Russian election outcry

The Russian leadership has sought to calm tensions following an unprecedented protest against Vladimir Putin that brought tens of thousands of demonstrators on to the streets of Moscow.

» 09 Dec 2011
India - Many die in Calcutta hospital fire

At least 35 people have been killed in a fire that broke out in a hospital in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta (Kolkata), officials say.

» 09 Dec 2011
Euro crisis: EU-wide treaty change bid fails

Attempts to get all 27 EU states to back changes to the bloc's treaties to tackle the eurozone crisis have failed.

» 08 Dec 2011
EU leaders face key summit test

European Union officials are preparing for a key summit in Brussels, where they will be trying to clinch a deal on how to tackle the eurozone debt crisis.

» 08 Dec 2011
Panama jailed former ruler Noriega to be sent home

Panama's jailed former ruler Manuel Noriega will be extradited from France to his homeland on Sunday, Foreign Minister Roberto Henriquez says.

» 08 Dec 2011
Colombian paramilitary hands himself in to authorities

A Colombian ex-paramilitary leader has handed himself in to the authorities.

» 08 Dec 2011
Obama and Harper split on Keystone XL pipeline deal

A controversial oil pipeline linking Canada and the US must be assessed for environmental impact, the US president has told Canada's prime minister.

» 08 Dec 2011
Somalia fighting: New clashes in capital Mogadishu

The Somali capital, Mogadishu, has been hit by some of the fiercest fighting in the city in months, in a major setback for the government.

» 07 Dec 2011
Eurozone crisis: New EU treaty may not be needed

Tougher rules to tackle the eurozone debt crisis can be achieved without changing EU treaties, EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy says.

» 07 Dec 2011
French Alpine glaciers in retreat

Glaciers in the French Alps have lost a quarter of their area in the past 40 years, according to new research.

» 07 Dec 2011
Japanese tsunami fund used for whaling programme

Japan has used funds from its tsunami recovery budget to subsidise its controversial annual whaling programme, animal rights activists say.

» 07 Dec 2011
Colombians stage big anti-Farc protests

Tens of thousands of people across Colombia have taken part in protests against the country's largest left-wing guerrilla group, Farc.

» 06 Dec 2011
Russia election: Hundreds rally against Putin in Moscow

Several thousand people have taken to the streets of Moscow shouting "Down with Putin" as international observers in Russia's parliamentary elections speak of flagrant violations.

» 06 Dec 2011
Cores reveal when Dead Sea

Sediments drilled from beneath the Dead Sea reveal that this most remarkable of water bodies all but disappeared 120,000 years ago.

» 06 Dec 2011
S&P warns euro nations of possible credit downgrade

Ratings agency Standard and Poor's has put almost the entire eurozone, including Germany and France, on "credit watch" due to fears over the impact of the debt crisis.

» 06 Dec 2011
Kepler 22-b: Earth-like planet confirmed

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of an Earth-like planet in the "habitable zone" around a star not unlike our own.

» 05 Dec 2011
Afghan conference in Bonn as Nato troops eye exit

A major international conference on Afghanistan's future is due to open in the German city of Bonn on Monday.

» 05 Dec 2011
Sarkozy and Merkel kick off week of euro crisis talks

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to meet to agree on joint proposals aimed at resolving the eurozone debt crisis.

» 05 Dec 2011
Indian retail stocks fall on stalled supermarket plans

Shares in Indian retailers have fallen after the government put on hold plans to open up the retail market to global supermarket chains.

» 05 Dec 2011
Swiss ski resorts hit by drought

The traditional start of Switzerland's ski season has been marred by a shortage of snow across the Alps.

» 02 Dec 2011
Hillary Clinton and Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma talks

Hillary Clinton is holding further talks with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, where they are expected to discuss rights and democracy in Burma.

» 02 Dec 2011
US Senate passes sanctions on Iran central bank

The US Senate has unanimously approved economic sanctions on Iran targeting the country's oil industry, despite warnings the move could backfire.

» 02 Dec 2011
UN rights council to discuss Syria violence

The UN Human Rights Council is due to hold an emergency meeting in Geneva to discuss the situation in Syria.

» 02 Dec 2011
Barack Obama and Kermit the Frog light the National Christmas Tree

President Barack Obama has lit the the traditional National Christmas Tree, with a little help from the Black Eyed Peas, Ellie Goulding and Kermit the Frog.

» 01 Dec 2011
Asian markets up on central banks move to help lending

Asian stocks have gained after many of the world's biggest central banks unveiled a plan to stimulate lending.

» 01 Dec 2011
Hillary Clinton visit: Burma hails new chapter in ties

Burmese President Thein Sein has hailed a "new chapter" in relations with the US during talks with Hillary Clinton in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

» 01 Dec 2011
China manufacturing activity falls to a 32-month low

China'a manufacturing activity fell to a 32-month low in November, hurt by a slowdown in the global economy.

» 01 Dec 2011
Britain expels Iranian diplomats and closes Tehran embassy

William Hague says diplomats must leave UK within 48 hours, saying storming of British embassy in Iran had backing of regime.

» 30 Nov 2011
Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo arrives in The Hague

Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has arrived at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.

» 30 Nov 2011
China increases rural poverty limit to $1 a day

China has redefined the level at which people in rural areas are considered poor to include everyone earning less than $1 a day (6.5 yuan).

» 30 Nov 2011
Public sector strike set to be largest for a generation

Up to two million public sector workers are staging a strike over pensions in what is set to be the biggest walkout for a generation.

» 30 Nov 2011
Pakistan boycotts talks on Afghanistan and asks UK to mediate in row with US

Pakistan has asked Britain to mediate in its dispute with the US over the killing of 24 of its soldiers on the Afghan border

» 29 Nov 2011
Egypt election: Long queues in first post-Mubarak vote

Large numbers of Egyptians have turned out to vote in the first elections since former President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February.

» 29 Nov 2011
Eurozone crisis: Debt fears loom at White House summit

US President Barack Obama has hosted European Union leaders in a wide-ranging summit overshadowed by the EU debt crisis.

» 29 Nov 2011
UN report: Syrian forces commit gross violations of human rights

Syrian security forces have committed "gross violations of human rights" since anti-government protests began in March, a United Nations report released Monday said.

» 29 Nov 2011
Libya ex-rebels still hold 7,000 prisoners, says UN

Former Libyan rebels are still holding about 7,000 prisoners, the United Nations says

» 25 Nov 2011
Moroccans prepare to for parliamentary poll

Moroccans are preparing to vote in a parliamentary election.

» 25 Nov 2011
Syria unrest: Arab League sets observer ultimatum

Syria is a few hours away from a deadline to allow an Arab League observer mission into the country or be subjected to sanctions.

» 25 Nov 2011
Trinidad PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar in rally ahead of poll

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says police have thwarted a plot to assassinate her.

» 25 Nov 2011
Egypt prepares for mass Friday rally ahead of poll

Protesters in Cairo are preparing to hold another mass rally to demand that Egypt's military rulers step aside.

» 24 Nov 2011
Egypt unrest: Military apologises for protest deaths

Egypt's ruling military has apologised for the deaths of protesters in clashes with police, as unrest in Cairo and other cities enters its sixth day.

» 24 Nov 2011
Portugal braces for general strike against austerity cuts

A 24-hour strike in Portugal has grounded flights and halted public transportation in protest against proposed austerity measures.

» 24 Nov 2011
Euro leaders meet amid bond crisis

Italy's Mario Monti is meeting Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Nicolas Sarkozy later, for the first time since Mr Monti took office.

» 24 Nov 2011
Brazil bans oil giant Chevron from drilling after spill

Brazil is temporarily banning the American company, Chevron, from drilling for oil in its territory.

» 23 Nov 2011
South Korea remembers Yeonpyeong island attack

Solemn ceremonies have been held in South Korea marking one year since North Korea shelled a southern island, plunging the peninsula into crisis.

» 23 Nov 2011
Egypt unrest: Cairo protests continue despite military concessions

Thousands of Egyptians have continued to occupy Cairo's Tahrir Square despite an offer from the military for a speedier handover to civilian rule.

» 23 Nov 2011
India spends millions on Mumbai gunman Ajmal Qasab

India has spent $3m (£2m) in the last three years on Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai (Bombay) attacks.

» 23 Nov 2011
German MPs unite against murders blamed on neo-Nazis

Parliament in Germany has united to express its shame at the failure of security services to stop a neo-Nazi cell accused of 10 murders.

» 22 Nov 2011
Tunisia coalition agrees top government posts

Tunisia's three main parties have decided on who will hold the top posts in a power-sharing government.

» 22 Nov 2011
Russia Soyuz capsule lands in Kazakhstan after ISS visit

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft has landed safely in Kazakhstan, bringing three crew members back from the International Space Station (ISS).

» 22 Nov 2011
Egypt unrest: Activists call for mass demonstrations

Egyptian activists have called for mass demonstrations after an overnight standoff between security forces and protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

» 22 Nov 2011
US super-committee fails to agree on debt reduction plan

A US congressional committee tasked with reducing the deficit by $1.2tn (£762bn) has failed to come to an agreement.

» 21 Nov 2011
Egypt protesters in Cairo Tahrir Square for third day

Protesters against Egypt's military rulers remain camped in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a third day, after the deaths of at least 13 people in violence over the weekend.

» 21 Nov 2011
Cambodia genocide: Khmer Rouge trio go on trial

The UN-backed trial of the three most senior surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge, charged with crimes against humanity, has begun

» 21 Nov 2011
Spain election: Rajoy Popular Party declares victory

Spain's centre-right Popular Party (PP) has won a resounding victory in a parliamentary election dominated by the country's deep debt crisis.

» 21 Nov 2011
New York man arrested suspected of bomb plot

A resident of New York has been arrested on suspicion of planning to bomb targets including police cars and post offices.

» 18 Nov 2011
Pope heads to voodoo heartland on Africa visit

Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Benin on Friday, marking his second visit to Africa

» 18 Nov 2011
Russian military chief: War risks have grown

Russia's chief military officer says the nation is facing an increased threat of being drawn into conflicts at its borders that may grow into an all-out nuclear war.

» 18 Nov 2011
Brazil police probe Rio de Janeiro Chevron oil spill

Brazilian police are investigating an oil spill in an offshore field operated by the US company Chevron.

» 18 Nov 2011
Mass arrests at Occupy Wall Street protests

Several thousand demonstrators have marched across New York's Brooklyn Bridge on a day of protest that saw solidarity rallies across the US.

» 17 Nov 2011
Rice containing radioactive caesium found in Japan

Radioactive caesium has been detected above the safety level in rice..

» 17 Nov 2011
US President Obama says Asia-Pacific is key to future

US President Barack Obama has said that the Asia-Pacific region will play a key role in defining the world's future.

» 17 Nov 2011
Italy PM to show austerity plan to tackle Italy crisis

Newly-appointed Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti is due to outline austerity measures aimed at steering the country out of its debt crisis.

» 16 Nov 2011
Barack Obama in Australia: Military ties on agenda

US President Barack Obama has arrived in Australia for a visit expected to focus on strengthening military ties.

» 16 Nov 2011
Mario Monti to unveil new Italy government

Italy's new government is to be unveiled after two days of intense negotiations by Prime Minister-designate Mario Monti.

» 16 Nov 2011
Syria crisis: Arab ministers mull increasing pressure

Arab foreign ministers are to meet to consider how to increase the pressure on Syria, a day after one of the bloodiest crackdowns on protesters.

» 16 Nov 2011
East Africa drought: Cholera outbreak in Kenya camp

There has been an outbreak of cholera in the world's largest refugee camp in Kenya, home to Somalis fleeing famine and conflict, the UN has said.

» 15 Nov 2011
Italy crisis: Mario Monti to hold talks in Rome

Italy's newly-appointed prime minister is preparing to meet representatives of the two largest political parties as he seeks to support for a new government.

» 15 Nov 2011
Libyan factions in deadly clashes near Zawiya

Several days of fighting between rival factions near the Libyan coastal city of Zawiya have left at least seven people dead, reports say.

» 15 Nov 2011
IMF says Chinese banks face risks, urges quick action

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that China's financial system "faces a steady build up in vulnerabilities".

» 14 Nov 2011
Brazil police target drug gangs in Rio

Brazil's police say they have completed an operation to clear Rio de Janeiro's biggest slum, Rocinha, of drug gangs.

» 14 Nov 2011
Italy crisis: Mario Monti moves to form new government

Mario Monti is starting work to form a new government to lead Italy out of its acute debt crisis which prompted the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi.

» 14 Nov 2011
Outside pressure builds on Syria as violence continues

Syria's leadership is under mounting pressure from other Arab states to halt its continuing violent repression of pro-democracy protests.

» 14 Nov 2011
Brazilian police take over Rio biggest slum

More than 3,000 police and soldiers backed by armored personnel carriers raced into Brazil's biggest slum before dawn Sunday

» 11 Nov 2011
UK silence to mark Armistice Day

Millions of people across the UK are expected to observe a two-minute silence later to mark Armistice Day.

» 11 Nov 2011
Syria: 33 die as protests are crushed

Syrian activists say an eight-year-old girl is among as many as 33 killed in President Bashar al-Assad's campaign to crush anti-government protests.

» 11 Nov 2011
Eurozone crisis threatens to spread to France as Paris is warned over its debts

Eurozone crisis fears have led investors to tell Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, to do more to reassure markets over debt.

» 11 Nov 2011
Silvio Berlusconi backs ex-EU chief Monti to replace him as Italy PM

Market panic over Italy's debt crisis and political deadlock receded after Mario Monti, a respected former EU commissioner, appeared set to take over the reins of government from the outgoing prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi

» 10 Nov 2011
China export growth slows down as global demand falls

China's export growth slowed further in October as the eurozone debt crisis and fears of a slowdown in the US dented demand for its goods, figures show.

» 10 Nov 2011
Turkey earthquake: Rescue teams search for survivors

Rescue teams are searching for dozens of people trapped in rubble after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey, killing at least seven people.

» 10 Nov 2011
Russia rules out new Iran sanctions over nuclear report

Russia has ruled out supporting fresh sanctions against Iran, despite a UN report that says Tehran may be trying to develop nuclear weapons.

» 10 Nov 2011
Berlusconi May Be Going but Italy Problems Will Stay

Yields on Italian government bonds reached frightening heights on Nov. 9, the day after Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s longest-serving Prime Minister, offered to resign as soon as Parliament passes an austerity package.

» 09 Nov 2011
Italian crisis: Silvio Berlusconi vows to resign

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed he intends to resign after key economic reforms have been approved.

» 09 Nov 2011
IMF chief warns of a lost decade for global economy

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has warned that the global economy is at risk of being plunged into a "lost decade".

» 09 Nov 2011
Agencies warn of acute Pakistan floods relief shortfall

Relief efforts for five million people affected by flooding in Sindh province of Pakistan are threatened because of a lack of funds, aid agencies say.

» 09 Nov 2011
Russian Mars probe loses its way minutes after launch

A Russian space probe sent to collect rock and dust from a Martian moon has veered off course within minutes of starting its 33 month mission.

» 08 Nov 2011
Italy Berlusconi faces key vote amid economy fears

Italy's PM Silvio Berlusconi is set to face a crucial vote on the budget, amid fears that Italy could be the next victim of the Eurozone debt crisis.

» 08 Nov 2011
Russia: Israeli threat of strikes on Iran mistake

Military action against Iran would be a "very serious mistake fraught with unpredictable consequences", Russia's foreign minister has warned.

» 08 Nov 2011
Colombia mudslide deaths mount

The number of people known to have died in a mudslide in western Colombia has risen to at least 38.

» 08 Nov 2011
Liberians vote despite Tubman-Weah protests

Voting has begun in Liberia's presidential run-off despite at least one death during opposition protests and a boycott over fraud claims.

» 07 Nov 2011
Greeks agree coalition government without Papandreou

Greek leaders at crisis talks in Athens have agreed to form a new national unity government, the president's office says.

» 07 Nov 2011
Syria: Further Homs deaths as Arab League adds pressure

Security forces in Syria have killed at least 19 protesters during demonstrations against the government, rights groups say.

» 07 Nov 2011
Ex-general Otto Perez Molina wins Guatemala elections

Former army general Otto Perez Molina has won the presidential run-off in Guatemala, electoral officials said.

» 07 Nov 2011
Millions in Mecca start Hajj pilgrimage

Millions of Muslims from around the world were in the holy city of Mecca on Saturday for the first day of Hajj

» 04 Nov 2011
Greece PM Papandreou faces fresh call to resign

Greece's centre-right opposition has demanded Prime Minister George Papandreou resign, throwing into disarray plans for a unity government.

» 04 Nov 2011
China mine disaster: Dozens trapped by rock burst

The BBC's Michael Bristow: "Rescuers are continuing to look for miners"

» 04 Nov 2011
Simulated Mars mission to land back on Earth

Six men locked away in steel tubes for a year-and-a-half to simulate a mission to Mars are set to end the experiment.

» 04 Nov 2011
Sudan army seizes rebel stronghold in Blue Nile state

Sudanese forces have captured the key rebel stronghold of Kurmuk in the border state of Blue Nile, government and rebel sources said.

» 03 Nov 2011
G20 leaders to meet amid Greek fears

The G20 leaders are due to meet in France amid concerns the eurozone's debt crisis may be worsening.

» 03 Nov 2011
Gaddafi son Saif al-Islam may be trying to flee Libya

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor says Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam may be trying to flee Libya with help from mercenaries.

» 03 Nov 2011
Afghanistan suicide attack hits city of Herat

Militants have launched a suicide gun and bomb attack on a private construction company in the western Afghan city of Herat, officials say.

» 03 Nov 2011
English-style diet could save 4,000 in rest of UK

Eating like the English could save 4,000 lives a year in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, a study claims.

» 31 Oct 2011
Qantas prepares to resume flights as court orders end to dispute

Qantas will resume flights on Monday after an independent tribunal ordered a permanent end to the industrial dispute with its union members.

» 31 Oct 2011
Nato set to conclude its mission over Libya

Nato's mission over Libya is due to formally come to an end at one minute to midnight Libyan time on Monday.

» 31 Oct 2011
Former Colombian rebel elected mayor of capital Bogota

A former left-wing rebel has been elected mayor of the capital, Bogota, as Colombians vote in local elections.

» 31 Oct 2011
Snowstorm hits US East Coast killing at least nine

An unseasonable snowstorm has hit the US East Coast, with some areas of Massachusetts seeing more than 27in (68cm) of snow.

» 28 Oct 2011
Nicolas Sarkozy: Greece should have been denied euro

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said allowing Greece into the eurozone in 2001 was a "mistake".

» 28 Oct 2011
Protests hit Sidi Bouzid after historic Tunisia poll

Violent protests have erupted in central Tunisia, after the results of the country's first democratic elections in decades were announced.

» 28 Oct 2011
US shares join world markets in eurozone deal rally

US markets have joined Europe's rally after eurozone leaders agreed a deal to help resolve the debt crisis.

» 28 Oct 2011
Pakistan army denies backing Taliban

The Pakistan army has strongly denied claims made in a BBC documentary that the Pakistani security services are supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

» 27 Oct 2011
Eurozone leaders agree debt deal after late-night talks

Eurozone leaders have reached a "three-pronged" agreement which they say is vital to resolving the region's massive debt crisis.

» 27 Oct 2011
Bangkok floods: Thousands flee as water approach

The Thai authorities have ordered a five-day holiday to allow residents of Bangkok to leave the capital ahead of expected mass flooding.

» 27 Oct 2011
Libya Mustafa Abdul Jalil asks Nato to stay longer

The head of Libya's transitional authorities has called for Nato to extend its mission in Libya until the end of the year.

» 27 Oct 2011
Gaddafi son wants to surrender to ICC, says NTC

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who once vowed to die fighting on Libyan soil, now wants to face international justice

» 25 Oct 2011
Turkey earthquake: More aid pledged to worst-hit areas

The Turkish government has pledged more aid to thousands of people affected by Sunday's deadly earthquake in the east.

» 25 Oct 2011
Philippine military bombs southern Muslim rebels

Military forces in the Philippines have carried out their first air strikes for three years on separatist rebel areas in the south of the country.

» 25 Oct 2011
Struggling Wikileaks stops publishing classified files

The whistle-blowing website Wikileaks is suspending its publication of classified files.

» 25 Oct 2011
Col Gaddafi buried in secret, desert grave at dawn

The bodies of ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his son Muatassim and a top aide have been buried in secret in the desert, Libyan officials say.

» 24 Oct 2011
EU referendum: Tory MPs set to rebel against government

The government is facing the prospect of a rebellion by Conservative MPs when Parliament votes on proposals for a referendum on Europe.

» 24 Oct 2011
Tunisia counts votes in historic free election

Tunisians have voted in their first truly free elections.

» 24 Oct 2011
Turkey earthquake: Desperate search for survivors

Rescue teams are desperately searching for people trapped under rubble after a strong earthquake hit Turkey's eastern Van region on Sunday.

» 24 Oct 2011
Nairobi nightclub grenade attack injures 13

A grenade attack on a nightclub in the centre of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has injured 13 people.

» 20 Oct 2011
Greece unrest: Strike to continue amid austerity vote

Greece is bracing for a second day of a general strike and mass protests as parliament takes a final vote on tough new austerity measures.

» 20 Oct 2011
Thailand flooding: Parts of Bangkok to be hit

The Thai government says it will be impossible to protect all of the capital from flooding because of a build-up of water to the north.

» 20 Oct 2011
Clinton in Afghanistan to urge Taliban reconciliation

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Afghanistan to encourage President Hamid Karzai to continue efforts to reconcile with the Taliban.

» 20 Oct 2011
Nicolas Sarkozy wife Carla Bruni gives birth to girl

Carla Bruni, wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has given birth to a girl at a Paris clinic where crowds had gathered, local media say.

» 19 Oct 2011
Kurdish rebels kill 24 Turkish soldiers

At least 24 Turkish soldiers have been killed in clashes with Kurdish rebels at several police and army posts in south-east Turkey

» 19 Oct 2011
Greece general strike begins over spending cuts

A general strike is under way in Greece, grounding flights, halting most public services and shutting offices and shops.

» 19 Oct 2011
Gloves off at Republican TV debate in Las Vegas

Republican presidential hopefuls have clashed sharply in their latest televised debate in the economically depressed state of Nevada.

» 19 Oct 2011
US issues travel alert for citizens in India

The United States has issued an alert for its citizens in India during the holiday season, warning them of "possible terrorist attacks".

» 18 Oct 2011
China economic growth slows to 9.1% in third quarter

China's economic expansion slowed during the third quarter of the year as government measures to control inflation hurt growth.

» 18 Oct 2011
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denies Saudi plot claims

Iran's president has said US claims of a plot to assassinate a Saudi envoy are as false as its allegations were about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

» 18 Oct 2011
Somali militants al-Shabab threaten Kenya retaliation

Somali militant group Al-Shabab has warned Kenya to withdraw its troops from Somalia, or face bloody battles.

» 18 Oct 2011
Malaria deaths fall nearly 40% worldwide in last decade

There has been a fall of nearly 40% in the number of deaths from malaria worldwide in the past decade

» 17 Oct 2011
Hollande set to challenge Sarkozy in presidential vote

Francois Hollande has been elected the French Socialist Party's candidate for the 2012 presidential vote when he is expected to challenge Nicolas Sarkozy.

» 17 Oct 2011
Mexico army frees 61 kidnap victims in Coahuila

The Mexican army says it has rescued 61 men who were being held prisoner by a drugs gang near the border with the US.

» 17 Oct 2011
Central America floods and landslides leave 80 dead

The number of people killed by a week of torrential rains, triggering floods and landslides across Central America

» 17 Oct 2011
Libya conflict: NTC forces claim Bani Walid advance

Forces loyal to Libya's interim authorities say they have entered Bani Walid, one of the last towns still loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi.

» 14 Oct 2011
Seized India explosives meant for attacking Delhi

Police in India say the large quantity of explosives recovered from a car on Thursday was to meant be used in an attack by militants in Delhi.

» 14 Oct 2011
Thai PM reassures as Bangkok braces for floods

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has sought to reassure Bangkok residents

» 14 Oct 2011
Clashes in Syria leave 19 dead - rights activists

At least 19 people have been killed in continuing unrest across Syria, activists have said.

» 14 Oct 2011
Italy PM Silvio Berlusconi faces confidence vote

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is facing a key confidence vote in parliament amid questions over his handling of the economy and personal scandals.

» 13 Oct 2011
Libya conflict: Confusion over Mutassim Gaddafi fate

There are conflicting reports in Libya about the fate of one of ousted leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's sons.

» 13 Oct 2011
India encephalitis outbreak kills 400, mainly children

More than 400 people, mainly children, have died in an outbreak of viral encephalitis in northern India, health officials say.

» 13 Oct 2011
Floods and landslides leave 18 dead in Central America

A tropical depression storm pounding Central America has triggered floods and landslides that have left at least 18 people dead, officials say.

» 13 Oct 2011
Salvage crew returns to New Zealand oil spill ship

Salvage workers have returned to a cargo ship stranded off New Zealand's coast which is leaking oil onto a shore renowned for its beaches and wildlife.

» 12 Oct 2011
US to pressure Iran over plot to kill Saudi envoy

The US says it will increase international pressure on Iran, which it alleges is behind a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington.

» 12 Oct 2011
India PM assures Anna Hazare on anti-graft law

Indian PM Manmohan Singh has assured campaigner Anna Hazare that he is committed to bringing about strong laws to curb corruption in the near future

» 12 Oct 2011
West condemns Ukraine over Yulia Tymoshenko jailing

Western leaders have condemned the jailing of former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

» 12 Oct 2011
New Zealand oil spill ship captain charged

The captain of a cargo ship that has grounded off New Zealand and is leaking oil into the sea has been arrested and charged, officials say.

» 11 Oct 2011
Eurozone bailout fund faces key Slovakian vote

Slovakia will vote later on measures to bolster the powers of the eurozone bailout fund, seen as vital in combating the bloc's debt crisis.

» 11 Oct 2011
Egypt clashes: Copts mourn victims of Cairo unrest

Thousands of Egyptian Coptic Christians have gathered for the funerals of protesters killed during clashes with security forces in Cairo on Sunday.

» 11 Oct 2011
Somalia Islamists al-Shabab driven out of Mogadishu

African Union (AU) troops say they have driven Islamist al-Shabab militants out of their last stronghold in the north of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

» 11 Oct 2011
India leader LK Advani to begin anti-graft campaign

India's main opposition leader LK Advani is due to begin a 38-day journey across the country as part of a campaign to protest against corruption.

» 10 Oct 2011
Egypt PM Essam Sharaf urges calm after Cairo clashes

The Egyptian prime minister has appealed for calm after 24 people were killed in clashes between Coptic Christians and security forces.

» 10 Oct 2011
Chile students plan new education protests

Chilean students protesting for educational reform have called a new general strike

» 10 Oct 2011
Dexia bank to get massive bailout

France, Belgium and Luxembourg are to bail out the troubled bank Dexia, following fears it could go bankrupt.

» 10 Oct 2011
Poland re-elects PM Donald Tusk

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has become the first Polish leader to be re-elected since the end of communism.

» 07 Oct 2011
Bin Laden death: CIA doctor accused of treason

A Pakistani commission investigating the US raid that killed Osama Bin Laden says a doctor accused of helping the CIA should be tried for high treason.

» 07 Oct 2011
Stock markets rise on expectation of eurozone bank plan

Stock markets have been boosted by expectations that European leaders are about to act to ease the debt crisis.

» 07 Oct 2011
US and Nato far from goals in Afghanistan

After 10 years of fighting in Afghanistan, US and Nato allies remain far from reaching their goals

» 07 Oct 2011
Qantas buys 110 Airbus aircraft for Asia expansion

European aircraft maker Airbus has struck a deal worth US$9.5bn (£6.2bn) with Australia's Qantas for 110 jets.

» 06 Oct 2011
Steve Jobs Dies: Apple Chief Created Personal Computer, iPad, iPod, iPhone

Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, has died, Apple said. Jobs was 56.

» 06 Oct 2011
Spain Duchess of Alba remarries at 85 in Seville

The Duchess of Alba celebrated her wedding with an impromtu flamenco dance

» 06 Oct 2011
Sarah Palin says she will not run for president in 2012

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has declared she will not run for the White House next year.

» 06 Oct 2011
Mexico arrests senior Sinaloa drugs cartel suspect

Mexican forces have arrested a man they say is a key figure in the country's most powerful drugs cartel.

» 05 Oct 2011
Amanda Knox overwhelmed at US return

A tearful Amanda Knox has said she is "overwhelmed" at being back on US soil after her acquittal

» 05 Oct 2011
Greece hit by new 24-hour general strike over austerity

A 24-hour general strike is underway in Greece against the nation's austerity measures.

» 05 Oct 2011
Italy credit rating slashed by Mood

The Italian government's credit rating has been slashed by Moody's from Aa2 to A2 with a negative outlook.

» 05 Oct 2011
Egypt blogger Maikel Nabil ailing from hunger strike

The family of a jailed Egyptian blogger have said his health is seriously at risk

» 04 Oct 2011
Amanda Knox wins Meredith Kercher murder appeal

Amanda Knox and ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito have been cleared of killing UK student Meredith Kercher

» 04 Oct 2011
Somali pirates get life in jail

Two Somali men have been sentenced to life in a US prison for their role in the deadly hijacking of a yacht off the coast of Africa

» 04 Oct 2011
Karzai accuses Pakistan of double game over militants

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a thinly veiled attack on Pakistan, has said a "double game" is being played in the fight against militants.

» 04 Oct 2011
Gunmen Attack Shiites in Southwest Pakistan

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a bus in southwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 13 Shiite Muslims

» 03 Oct 2011
Rick Perry suggests US military role in Mexico drug war

Texas Governor Rick Perry - who is seeking the Republican nomination for US president - has said he would consider sending American troops into Mexico

» 03 Oct 2011
Asia stocks fall amid fresh fears of Greek debt default

Asian markets have fallen amid more worries about the European debt crisis after Greece said it would miss deficit targets.

» 03 Oct 2011
Libya conflict: Hundreds of residents flee Sirte

Streams of civilians have been fleeing the Libyan city of Sirte

» 03 Oct 2011
Amanda Knox to make final plea of innocence

Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend will make a last attempt on Monday to persuade the court hearing their appeals that they had nothing to do with the 2007 murder of Knox's then-flatmate

» 30 Sep 2011
Berlusconi marks 75 with nothing to celebrate

Beleaguered Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi feted his 75th birthday in uncharacteristically low-key fashion

» 30 Sep 2011
Human Rights Watch Urges South Africa to Allow Visit by Dalai Lama

A leading human rights group is urging South African authorities to allow the Dalai Lama to visit the country next week

» 30 Sep 2011
Putin Second Coming Is No Gift to Russia or Investors

When Vladimir Putin first came to power nearly 12 years ago, the most optimistic -- if tortured

» 30 Sep 2011
Amanda Knox lawyer urges absolving her of murder

American student Amanda Knox is an innocent victim who was wrongly convicted of killing her British roommate in a "tragic judicial case

» 29 Sep 2011
Indonesia plane carrying 18 feared crashed

A plane carrying 18 people is feared to have crashed in western Indonesia, government officials say.

» 29 Sep 2011
Man mauled by shark in South Africa ignored warnings

A man has had a leg bitten off and the other severed below the knee in a shark attack near Cape Town, South Africa.

» 29 Sep 2011
Typhoon Nesat shuts down Hong Kong

Hong Kong schools, financial markets, and businesses have shut as Typhoon Nesat brought howling winds, squalls of rain and rough seas to the territory.

» 28 Sep 2011
EU powers drop UN Syria sanctions call

European countries proposing a new UN resolution over Syria have dropped demands for immediate sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

» 28 Sep 2011
Shanghai train crash injures 200

A Shanghai subway train has hit the rear end of another train, injuring at least 200 passengers,

» 28 Sep 2011
Iraq makes first payment in deal to buy 18 US F-16s

Iraq has made the first payment in a deal to buy 18 US F-16 fighter jets worth a total of about $3bn (£1.9bn)

» 28 Sep 2011
Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray goes on trial

Michael Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, has gone on trial in Los Angeles

» 27 Sep 2011
India call centre growth stalls

India's call centre industry has grown rapidly in the past decade, but recent research suggests it's no longer the world's biggest.

» 27 Sep 2011
Libya fighters enter Gaddafi city

Anti-Gaddafi fighters have breached the former Libya leader's hometown of Sirte from the east for the first time

» 27 Sep 2011
Saudi social media joy at reform promise

The news of King Abdallah's plans to grant Saudi women the right to vote and stand in municipal elections is being met with elation...

» 27 Sep 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn wants end to New York civil case

Dominique Strauss-Kahn says a civil case brought against him by a hotel maid alleging sexual assault should be dropped

» 26 Sep 2011
Eurozone rescue plan emerging as IMF and Greece talk

Earlier, Greece's minister for international economic relations, Constantine Papadopoulos, said leaving the euro would be "catastrophic" for Greece.

» 26 Sep 2011
Boeing to deliver first 787 Dreamliner

US planemaker Boeing is due to deliver its first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's All Nippon Airways

» 26 Sep 2011
India floods situation worsens in Orissa and Bihar

More than two million people have been displaced by floods in India as torrential rains lash Orissa

» 26 Sep 2011
French left captures Senate in setback for Sarkozy

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government has lost its majority in the Senate for the first time

» 23 Sep 2011
Iran president makes 9/11 claims after UN walkout

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said he believes - as an engineer - the World Trade Center towers could not have been brought down by aircraft.

» 23 Sep 2011
Pakistan backed Haqqani attack on Kabul

The Haqqani network... acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency.

» 23 Sep 2011
Asian stocks have fallen after slide in US and Europe

Asian stocks have fallen on Friday, with some indexes driving towards their worst weekly losses since 2008.

» 23 Sep 2011
Maldives government complains of spoof atlas omission

The government of the Maldives has complained after the UK's Daily Telegraph website carried a satirical blog post..

» 22 Sep 2011
Federal Reserves launches Twist stimulus initiative

Wall Street tumbled after the Federal Reserve launched its long-awaited Operation Twist scheme to help stimulate the flagging US economy.

» 22 Sep 2011
Afghans gather to mourn Burhanuddin Rabbani

Hundreds of Afghans have gathered in Kabul to mourn High Peace Council chief Burhanuddin Rabbani

» 22 Sep 2011
Troy Davis is executed in Georgia for shooting policeman

Death row inmate Troy Davis has been executed in the US state of Georgia for the fatal shooting of policeman Mark MacPhail in 1989.

» 22 Sep 2011
Libya uprising: Gaddafi losing control of Sabha

Libya's interim rulers, the National Transitional Council, say their forces have now taken control of much of the southern city of Sabha.

» 21 Sep 2011
US court rules against Chevron in Ecuador oil case

A US court has overturned a block on Ecuadoreans collecting damages totalling $18.2bn (£11.5bn) from Chevron

» 21 Sep 2011
Greece bailout: European Union troika making progress

Talks to avert a financial meltdown in Greece have made "good progress", the European Commission has announced.

» 21 Sep 2011
£3 Million car put on display

The Tata Nano was conceived as a low cost car that can put a family on a two wheeler onto four wheels.

» 21 Sep 2011
Palestinian UN bid: Obama to meet Abbas and Netanyahu

US President Barack Obama will urge his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas to drop a bid for UN recognition of statehood later

» 20 Sep 2011
Israel offers talks with Palestinians over UN bid

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered to hold direct talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at the UN General Assembly

» 20 Sep 2011
Mexico jail breaks see 32 in Veracruz state escape

Thirty-two prisoners have broken out of three jails in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz.

» 20 Sep 2011
Italy sovereign debt rating cut by S&P on growth fear

Italy has had its sovereign debt rating cut by Standard & Poor's, the latest move in a deepening European debt crisis.

» 20 Sep 2011
Titanic necklace stolen from Denmark exhibition

A necklace that belonged to a passenger on the Titanic has been stolen from an exhibition in Denmark.

» 19 Sep 2011
Yemen unrest: Security forces open fire on protesters

Security forces in Yemen have opened fire on protesters in the capital, Sanaa, killing at least 26 people and injuring hundreds, doctors said.

» 19 Sep 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn rues New York hotel maid liaison

New York prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against Strauss-Kahn last month

» 19 Sep 2011
Egypt: General elections to begin in November

Egypt's ruling military council has proposed the date of 21 November for the start of the first parliamentary elections

» 19 Sep 2011
Deadly earthquake strikes India, Nepal

At least 26 people have been killed and dozens injured in India and Nepal

» 16 Sep 2011
Nasa Kepler telescope finds planet orbiting two suns

A planet orbiting two suns - the first confirmed alien world of its kind - has been found by Nasa's Kepler telescope

» 16 Sep 2011
Libya conflict: NTC fighters meet Sirte resistance

Libya's interim authorities say their fighters have entered the outskirts of the coastal city of Sirte

» 16 Sep 2011
Eight charged with supplying prostitutes to Berlusconi

Prosecutors in Italy have charged eight people with supplying prostitutes for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

» 16 Sep 2011
Trapped miners: Divers in Swansea Valley mine turn back

Divers who entered a flooded mine to help free four miners trapped 90m (295ft) underground have been forced to return above ground

» 15 Sep 2011
Libya NTC head Abdul Jalil wants help battling Gaddafi

The head of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) has appealed for weapons as NTC forces fight to capture parts of the country

» 15 Sep 2011
Axe attack in Chinese city of Gongyi kills six

A man armed with an axe has killed two young girls and four adults in a Chinese city, media reports say.

» 15 Sep 2011
Greece integral to the eurozone, say European leaders

The leaders of Greece, France and Germany have said that Greece is an "integral" part of the eurozone.

» 15 Sep 2011
Kashmir teenagers arrested over Delhi bomb email

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have arrested two schoolboys in connection with last week's bomb attack

» 14 Sep 2011
Afghan gunbattle: Troops kill Kabul insurgents

Afghan forces have killed the last insurgents who attacked the US embassy

» 14 Sep 2011
Argentina bus and trains crash, killing at least 11

At least 11 people have died in Argentina after a train slammed into a bus crossing the tracks

» 14 Sep 2011
Pakistan: Torrential rain and floods paralyse Karachi

Pakistan's commercial capital, Karachi, has been paralysed by floods as torrential rain continues to lash southern Sindh province

» 14 Sep 2011
Number of Americans in poverty hits record high

The number of Americans living in poverty rose to 46.2 million last year

» 13 Sep 2011
Brazil judge halts Sao Paulo airport terminal work

A federal court in Brazil has ordered an immediate halt to work on a new terminal at the main international airport

» 13 Sep 2011
France nuclear: Marcoule site explosion kills one

One person has been killed and four injured, one seriously, in a blast at the Marcoule nuclear site

» 13 Sep 2011
Italian government in bond buying talks with China

Italy's ruling coalition has struggled to implement austerity measures to calm the markets

» 13 Sep 2011
Libya rebel forces committed abuses, says Amnesty

Amnesty International has called on Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) to take steps to prevent human rights abuses

» 12 Sep 2011
9/11 anniversary: Obama calls for a future with hope

US President Barack Obama has told Americans they should honour those who died in the 9/11 attacks

» 12 Sep 2011
Rwanda Kagame pays reconciliation visit to France

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has paid his first visit to France since his country's 1994 genocide

» 12 Sep 2011
India: Thousands displaced by floods in Orissa

More than a million people have been displaced and at least 16 people have died in floods in the eastern Indian state of Orissa

» 12 Sep 2011
Libya conflict: Gaddafi son Saadi arrives in Niger

One of the sons of the fugitive Libyan leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi, has arrived in neighbouring Niger

» 09 Sep 2011
US jobs plan: Barack Obama unveils $450bn package

US President Barack Obama has unveiled a $450bn (£282bn) package of tax cuts and spending plans

» 09 Sep 2011
Massive blackout hits California, Arizona and Mexico

A massive power cut has caused blackouts in the US states of California and Arizona, and in Mexico.

» 09 Sep 2011
Somalia denies CIA rendition base in Mogadishu

Somalia has dismissed reports that the US runs an underground detention centre where the CIA helps interrogate terror suspects

» 09 Sep 2011
9/11: US warns of credible anniversary threat

The US has warned of a "specific, credible threat" ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

» 08 Sep 2011
Ice hockey world mourns Yaroslavl air crash in Russia

Russia and the world of ice hockey are mourning the deaths of 36 players and officials

» 08 Sep 2011
Delhi blast: Kashmir cyber cafe owner detained

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have detained the owner of a cyber cafe in connection with Wednesday's bomb attack

» 08 Sep 2011
Libya conflict: Gaddafi denies fleeing to Niger

Libya's fugitive leader Muammar Gaddafi has dismissed as lies and psychological warfare the speculation

» 08 Sep 2011
Brazilians rally against corruption

Thousands of people have joined anti-corruption demonstrations in Brazil

» 07 Sep 2011
Villagers capture world largest crocodile

Measuring 21ft from snout to tail, the massive creature is the largest crocodile captured alive in recent years.

» 07 Sep 2011
India high court blast in Delhi kills nine

At least nine people have been killed and 45 injured in an explosion outside the high court in the Indian capital, Delhi

» 07 Sep 2011
Brazil plans Haiti peacekeeping withdrawal, says Amorim

Brazil plans to start withdrawing troops from the UN peacekeeping mission it leads in Haiti

» 07 Sep 2011
Texas wildfires torch 1,000 homes

Dozens of wildfires raging in rain-starved Texas are now reported to have engulfed more than 1,000 homes.

» 06 Sep 2011
Indian prime minister to sign key agreements in Dhaka

The Indian prime minister is due to arrive in Bangladesh on a visit during which the two countries are expected to sign key border and trade agreements

» 06 Sep 2011
Somalia famine: UN warns of 750,000 deaths

As many as 750,000 people could die as Somalia's drought worsens in the coming months..

» 06 Sep 2011
Jacques Chirac trial opens in his absence in Paris

The trial of former French President Jacques Chirac on charges of illegal party funding during his time as mayor of Paris

» 06 Sep 2011
Labor Day: Barack Obama rallies Detroit crowds on jobs

US President Barack Obama has used a Labor Day address to a lively, sympathetic crowd

» 05 Sep 2011
Uruguayan peacekeepers in Haiti accused of abuse

Uruguay has ordered the repatriation of five of its peacekeepers from Haiti

» 05 Sep 2011
Jacques Chirac trial due to open in Paris

Former French President Jacques Chirac is due to go on trial charged with illegal party funding

» 05 Sep 2011
India: Mumbai airport runway reopens after four days

The main runway at the international airport in the Indian city of Mumbai has been reopened

» 05 Sep 2011
Libya conflict: Bani Walid siege talks have failed

Libyan interim government forces who have surrounded the Gaddafi-held desert town of Bani Walid say their talks with the loyalist side have failed

» 03 Sep 2011
Lotto Results 3 September 2011

The draw for Mauritius lotto 3 september 2011

» 01 Sep 2011
Obama reschedules Congress speech after Boehner objects

President Barack Obama has agreed to reschedule a Congressional speech on the economy

» 01 Sep 2011
Libya conflict: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi vows resistance

Fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's most prominent son has promised victory for Gaddafi loyalists

» 01 Sep 2011
Brazil in surprise interest rate cut to 12%

Brazil's central bank has unexpectedly cut the country's key interest rate to 12% from 12.5%, citing a "substantial deterioration"

» 01 Sep 2011
Libya conflict: Leaders gather for Paris summit

The meeting comes on the 42nd anniversary of Col Gaddafi's emergence

» 30 Aug 2011
Trichet wants swift implementation of Greek measures

European Central Bank (ECB) president Jean-Claude Trichet has called for swift action to help Greece.

» 30 Aug 2011
Italy drops proposed tax on high earners

The Italian government has dropped plans to introduce a tax on high earners

» 30 Aug 2011
Yoshihiko Noda becomes Japan new prime minister

Japan's parliament has backed Yoshihiko Noda as the country's sixth prime minister in five years.

» 30 Aug 2011
Libya conflict: Gaddafi family flee to Algeria

The wife and three children of fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are in Algeria

» 29 Aug 2011
Japanese MPs to choose next prime minister

Japan's governing Democratic Party is voting for the country's sixth new prime minister

» 29 Aug 2011
Taiwan braced as Tropical Storm Nanmadol sweeps in

Taiwan has deployed 35,000 troops to prepare for a huge storm

» 29 Aug 2011
Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is in coma

Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is in a coma at his Tripoli home in Libya

» 29 Aug 2011
Nigerian leader vows to fight terrorism after UN attack

Nigeria's president has promised to bring terrorism under control

» 29 Aug 2011
Lotto results 27 August 2011

Lotto results for 27 August 2011

» 26 Aug 2011
Japan PM Naoto Kan announces resignation amid criticism

Japan's beleaguered Prime Minister Naoto Kan has announced his resignation

» 26 Aug 2011
Anna Hazare: India parliament to debate anti-graft law

India's government has agreed to hold a parliamentary debate on proposals for a strong anti-corruption law

» 26 Aug 2011
Dozens dead in attack on casino in Monterrey, Mexico

At least 53 people have been killed and dozens injured in an attack on a casino in the northern Mexican city

» 26 Aug 2011
Hurricane Irene: Emergency declared in six US states

Six states along the east coast of the US, from North Carolina to New York, have declared emergencies

» 25 Aug 2011
Libyan rebels advance on Gaddafi hometown of Sirte

Libyan rebel forces are pushing east towards Col Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, having taken most of Tripoli.

» 25 Aug 2011
Anna Hazare: India activist call to protest at PM house

India's fasting activist Anna Hazare has called on his supporters to gather outside the PM's house

» 25 Aug 2011
Tax deal with the Swiss defended by UK minister

A UK government minister has defended a deal with the Swiss that could capture tax of up to £5bn

» 25 Aug 2011
American man rescued near Pakistan city of Lahore

An American citizen who was abducted from his house in the Pakistani city of Lahore 12 days ago has been rescued

» 24 Aug 2011
Libya unrest: Rebels overrun Gaddafi Tripoli compound

Libyan rebels have taken control of Col Muammar Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli

» 24 Aug 2011
Strauss-Kahn New York sexual assault case dismissed

A New York judge has dismissed the sexual assault case against former IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

» 24 Aug 2011
Kim Jong-il in talks with Russia Dmitry Medvedev

North Korea's reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il, is holding talks with President Dmitry Medvedev

» 24 Aug 2011
Austrian woman claims Himalayas climbing record

An Austrian has become the first woman to reach all 14 Himalayan summits above 8,000m (26,000 ft)

» 23 Aug 2011
New York prosecutors seek to drop Strauss-Kahn charges

Prosecutors have asked a judge to drop a sexual assault case against former IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

» 23 Aug 2011
Hurricane Irene gains strength near Dominican Republic

The first hurricane of the Atlantic season has gained strength as it passes north of the Dominican Republic.

» 23 Aug 2011
India corruption: Anna Hazare ready for talks

Aides of the fasting Indian activist Anna Hazare have said they are willing to talk to "responsible government mediators"

» 23 Aug 2011
Cameron and Obama: Gadaffi must go once and for all

David Cameron and Barack Obama have said Libya's Col Muammar Gaddafi must "relinquish power once and for all."

» 22 Aug 2011
Fighting rages near Gaddafi compound

Heavy fighting is taking place in Tripoli around the compound of embattled Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi

» 22 Aug 2011
Pope Benedict celebrates World Youth Day closing Mass

Pope Benedict XVI has celebrated the closing Mass of the World Youth Day festival in Spain in front of thousands of young Catholics.

» 22 Aug 2011
US will never default, Vice-President Biden tells China

United States Vice-President Joe Biden, who is visiting China, has said the US would never default on its debt.

» 22 Aug 2011
Norway attacks: National memorial held for victims

A national memorial service is being held in Oslo for the victims of the 22 July bomb and gun attacks.

» 19 Aug 2011
Attack on British Council compound in Kabul kills three

After at least three explosions, half-a-dozen men forced their way into the compound...

» 19 Aug 2011
Chile recognises 9,800 more victims of Pinochet

A Chilean commission investigating human rights abuses under the former military leader Gen Augusto Pinochet

» 19 Aug 2011
US will review 300,000 immigrant deportation cases

Illegal immigrants to the US who pose no threat to the public are likely to have deportation proceedings against them shelved

» 19 Aug 2011
Libya conflict: Rebels capture key Zawiya oil refinery

An oil refinery outside the Libyan town of Zawiya, just 50km (30 miles) west of Tripoli

» 18 Aug 2011
India corruption: Anna Hazare accepts release offer

Jailed Indian anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare has agreed to a police offer which will permit him to go on hunger strike

» 18 Aug 2011
Peru suspends coca eradication programme in Huallaga

The Peruvian government says it has suspended coca eradication efforts in an area where much coca is grown.

» 18 Aug 2011
Ex-student Jared Cano held for Tampa school bomb plot

A "potentially catastrophic" bomb plot hatched by an expelled high-school student has been thwarted in the US city of Tampa, Florida

» 18 Aug 2011
Syria Assad says military operations stopped

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told UN chief Ban Ki-moon that military operations against protesters have "stopped"

» 17 Aug 2011
US tobacco firms sue over labels

Five tobacco companies have sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

» 17 Aug 2011
India anti-graft activist spends night in jail

India's anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has spent a night in Tihar jail in the capital, Delhi

» 17 Aug 2011
Ecuador police to take lie detector test

Police officers in Ecuador will be made to take lie detector tests in an effort to root out corruption in the force

» 17 Aug 2011
Seychelles shark attack leaves Briton dead

A British man reportedly on honeymoon has died in the Seychelles after what locals said was a shark attack.

» 16 Aug 2011
Jersey stabbings: Special Polish Mass held

A special Mass has been held for the Polish community after six people were killed

» 16 Aug 2011
India anti-graft activist Anna Hazare detained

Police in India have detained prominent activist Anna Hazare hours before a planned fast

» 16 Aug 2011
16-year-old boy charged with murdering a man during riots in London

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murdering a man during riots in London.

» 16 Aug 2011
Indigenous Bolivians march against Amazon road

Hundreds of Amazonian Indians in Bolivia have begun a long protest march..

» 15 Aug 2011
Libya conflict: Rebels fight for key towns near Tripoli

Libyan rebels have advanced into two strategic towns controlling access to the capital, Tripoli, from the west and the south.

» 15 Aug 2011
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez wins primary

Early results from Argentina's first unified primary elections put President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner far ahead..

» 15 Aug 2011
Norway attacks: Breivik taken back to shooting island

Norwegian gunman Anders Behring Breivik has been taken back to the island of Utoeya for a police reconstruction

» 15 Aug 2011
US Republican Tim Pawlenty drops bid for 2012 race

Tim Pawlenty has announced he is dropping his bid to become the Republican Party's candidate in the 2012 presidential election.

» 12 Aug 2011
Syria unrest: US calls for wider sanctions

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for wider international sanctions on Syria as the government's violent crackdown on dissent continues

» 12 Aug 2011
Guatemala arrests civil conflict massacre suspects

Guatemalan police have detained two men accused of taking part in the massacre of 268 people during the civil war.

» 12 Aug 2011
Charla Nash new face revealed after US chimp attack

A picture of a US woman who underwent face-transplant surgery after being savaged by a chimpanzee in 2009 has been revealed

» 12 Aug 2011
Nigeria to probe army abuses in Boko Haram crackdown

Nigeria's army has been told to investigate alleged abuses of civilians by soldiers fighting a radical Islamist

» 11 Aug 2011
David Cameron to outline further riot measures

David Cameron is expected to outline further measures to deal with recent disorder in England

» 11 Aug 2011
Pakistan bomb attack on police truck kills five

At least four police officers and a child were killed when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near a police truck

» 11 Aug 2011
Ivory Coast conflict: Laurent Gbagbo son charged

The son of Ivory Coast's former President Laurent Gbagbo is among 12 people who have been charged over post-election violence..

» 11 Aug 2011
Police capture Dougherty Gang in Colorado

Three siblings wanted for bank robbery and the attempted murder of a police officer have been arrested

» 10 Aug 2011
UK riots: Trouble erupts in English cities

Sporadic violence has broken out in several cities around England

» 10 Aug 2011
US drone attack kills 21 militants in Pakistan

A US drone attack has killed at least 21 militants in north-western Pakistan, local intelligence officials said.

» 10 Aug 2011
China first aircraft carrier starts sea trial

The 300m (990ft) carrier has been one of China's worst-kept secrets, analysts say

» 10 Aug 2011
Republicans survive key Wisconsin recall elections

Republicans in US state of Wisconsin have defeated an attempt by Democrats to seize control of the state senate

» 09 Aug 2011
Further riots in London as violence spreads across England

Rioting has spread across London on a third night of violence, with unrest flaring up in other English cities.

» 09 Aug 2011
Syria unrest: Turkey to demand end to Assad

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is going to Syria to demand an end to a crackdown on protests by President Bashar al-Assad's government.

» 09 Aug 2011
Nine El Salvador ex-soldiers held over Jesuit killings

Nine former Salvadoran soldiers have turned themselves in to face charges that they shot dead six Jesuit priests

» 09 Aug 2011
European shares down after sharp falls in Asia

European share values have fallen further after a volatile session on Asian markets.

» 08 Aug 2011
London riots: Looting and violence continues

Police have condemned a wave of "copycat criminal activity" across London in a second night of looting and disorder following riots in Tottenham.

» 08 Aug 2011
Two militants killed in Kashmir clash

Security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir have killed two suspected members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba

» 08 Aug 2011
ECB to act over eurozone debt crisis

The European Central Bank has said it will buy eurozone bonds, following emergency talks on the debt crisis.

» 08 Aug 2011
US probes Afghanistan special forces helicopter crash

The US military is trying to confirm whether insurgent fire brought down a helicopter in Afghanistan with the loss of 38 people

» 05 Aug 2011
Asian stocks tumble after heavy sell-off on Wall Street

Asian stock markets have slumped on Friday, extending a global equity sell-off after Wall Street

» 05 Aug 2011
Madrid indignant protesters clash with riot police

At least 20 people have been injured - including seven police officers - in clashes between riot police and protesters in Madrid.

» 05 Aug 2011
Nigeria Ogoniland oil clean-up could take 30 years

Nigeria's Ogoniland region could take 30 years to recover fully from the damage caused by years of oil spills

» 05 Aug 2011
Brazil Defence Minister Nelson Jobim resigns

President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil has replaced her defence minister after he made disparaging remarks about other senior officials

» 04 Aug 2011
Syria unrest: UN condemns government crackdown

The UN Security Council has condemned the Syrian government for its deadly crackdown on protesters.

» 04 Aug 2011
Norway attacks: Oslo flower memorial cleared away

Oslo has cleared away a vast memorial of flowers and other items left outside the city's cathedral in honour of the victims of the attacks on 22 July.

» 04 Aug 2011
Delhi leader denies Commonwealth Games allegations

The chief minister of the Indian capital, Delhi, has denied allegations of wrongdoing in the awarding of commercial contracts..

» 04 Aug 2011
Southampton cocaine haul worth up to £300m

A haul of cocaine with a street value of up to £300m has been found hidden inside a luxury yacht in Southampton

» 03 Aug 2011
Trial of Egypt ex-leader Hosni Mubarak trial to open

The trial of Egypt's ex-President Hosni Mubarak, who was forced from office by mass demonstrations in February, is due to start in the capital, Cairo.

» 03 Aug 2011
UN peacekeepers killed by Abyei landmine blast

Four Ethiopian UN peacekeeping troops have been killed by a landmine in Sudan's disputed region of Abyei.

» 03 Aug 2011
Peacock escapes New York Central Park zoo

A peacock has become the latest animal to capture the imagination of New Yorkers after escaping from a city zoo.

» 03 Aug 2011
Asian stock markets fall on global economic fears

Shares in Asian markets have fallen on Wednesday, tracking US declines, after figures showed that the US economy is struggling to recover

» 02 Aug 2011
Plane from New York crashes at Guyana airport

A plane has crashed and broken in two on landing at Guyana's main airport in the capital

» 02 Aug 2011
Italian coastguards find 25 bodies on boat at Lampedusa

Italian coastguards have found the bodies of 25 men on a boat crowded with refugees fleeing Libya.

» 02 Aug 2011
Cuba National Assembly approves economic reforms

Cuba's National Assembly has given its backing to President Raul Castro's plans to reform the country

» 02 Aug 2011
Nigeria plans talks with Islamist group Boko Haram

Nigeria's government says it wants to start negotiating with Islamist group Boko Haram

» 01 Aug 2011
Obama announces US deficit deal between party leaders

US President Barack Obama says Republican and Democratic leaders have reached an agreement on raising the US debt limit

» 01 Aug 2011
Russia: Nine drown as Moscow pleasure boat sinks

A pleasure boat has sunk on the Moscow River in Russia's capital, drowning nine people

» 01 Aug 2011
European and Asian shares climb after US debt agreement

European and Asian markets have climbed after US lawmakers reached an agreement

» 01 Aug 2011
Mexican admits 15,000 killings

Police in Mexico say a suspected cartel leader they arrested on Friday has confessed to ordering the murder of 1,500 people

» 29 Jul 2011
Norway extremist Breivik faces fresh interrogation

Police say they will question Anders Behring Breivik again on Friday

» 29 Jul 2011
Afghanistan: Deadly attack in Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan

Insurgents have carried out a gun and bomb attack in the south Afghan town of Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan province

» 29 Jul 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn: Maid may file civil suit

The hotel maid who accuses ex-IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempted rape may file a civil suit..

» 29 Jul 2011
Mumbai gunman Qasab appeals against death penalty

The sole surviving gunman of the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks has appealed against his death penalty

» 28 Jul 2011
Mexico prison shooting: Police row over response

Police in one of Mexico's most violent cities, Ciudad Juarez, have accused federal colleagues of firing at them

» 28 Jul 2011
China train crash: Company blames signal design flaw

Last weekend's train crash in China was caused by a "serious design flaw" in the signals

» 28 Jul 2011
US debt: Boehner tells Republicans to to fall in line

Speaker John Boehner is urging Republicans in the House of Representatives to back his plan to cut the US budget

» 28 Jul 2011
Monkey research can be improved

A review of the use of monkeys in UK medical research says the practice should continue

» 27 Jul 2011
Christian: The lion who lived on the King

It is almost exactly 40 years since two young Australians had what has become a famous encounter with a lion

» 27 Jul 2011
Norway attacks: No proof of UK link to Breivik

Norway's domestic intelligence chief has told the BBC no proof has yet been found to link Anders Behring Breivik to right-wing extremists in the UK

» 27 Jul 2011
Afghan Nato forces kill 35 Pakistan Taliban militants

At least 35 Taliban militants from Pakistan have been killed and several wounded by Nato-led forces inside Afghanistan

» 27 Jul 2011
Morocco military plane crash kills 78

Seventy-eight people were killed when a Moroccan military aircraft crashed into a mountain in the south of the country

» 26 Jul 2011
Debt limit: Obama blames House Republicans for impasse

US President Barack Obama has blamed conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives

» 26 Jul 2011
Mass rallies for Norway victims

Torchlit processions have been held in towns and cities across Norway to remember the victims of Friday's twin attacks by Anders Behring Breivik.

» 26 Jul 2011
Dead man wakes up inside morgue

A 50-year-old South African man woke up inside a mortuary over the weekend and screamed to be let out

» 26 Jul 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn accuser gives first interview

The New York hotel maid who accuses former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempting to rape her in a hotel suite has given her first interview.

» 25 Jul 2011
Norway gunman faces court hearing

The man blamed for Friday's twin terror attacks in Norway is due to make his first appearance in court.

» 25 Jul 2011
Egypt after Mubarak: Opposition defiant despite clashes

Opposition supporters in Egypt have vowed to continue their protests after two days of violent confrontations with the army

» 25 Jul 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn accuser gives first interview

The New York hotel maid who accuses former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempting to rape her in a hotel suite

» 25 Jul 2011
Mass arrests in Mexico human trafficking raids

More than 1,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown on human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Ciudad Juarez

» 22 Jul 2011
Greece debt swap details emerge as default looms

Details of how Greece will restructure its massive debts have emerged as the eurozone braces for a likely default.

» 22 Jul 2011
Amnesty: Saudi terror law would strangle protest

A secret new anti-terror law being drawn up by the Saudi authorities would "strangle peaceful protest", Amnesty International has said.

» 22 Jul 2011
Ecuador president to donate $40m libel damages

The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has said he won't keep "one cent" of the $40m (£24m) he received

» 22 Jul 2011
Malawi army deployed over anti-Mutharika protests

The army has been deployed in three Malawian cities on a second day of anti-government protests in which at least 18 people have been killed.

» 21 Jul 2011
Germany and France agree common position on debt crisis

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have hammered out a common position on the euro debt crisis.

» 21 Jul 2011
Yemen unrest: Car bomb in Aden kills British worker

The blast took place near a hotel housing the shipping company's office

» 21 Jul 2011
India Maoists kills four in Chhattisgarh

Maoist rebels in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh have blown up a bridge

» 21 Jul 2011
American Airlines orders 460 Boeing and Airbus aircraft

American Airlines has announced multi-billion dollar orders for 460 new Boeing and Airbus planes.

» 20 Jul 2011
Met Police accused of phone-hacking inquiry failures

The Met Police is accused of a "catalogue of failures" over the News of the World phone-hacking inquiry in a damning report by MPs.

» 20 Jul 2011
Chile President Allende killed himself, experts say

A team of international experts has concluded that the former president of Chile, Salvador Allende, killed himself during the 1973 military coup

» 20 Jul 2011
Barack Obama hails progress as debt deadline nears

US President Barack Obama has cited "some progress" in debt talks

» 20 Jul 2011
UN to declare famine in parts of drought-hit Somalia

The United Nations is set to declare a famine in parts of Somalia as it suffers the worst drought in more than half a century.

» 19 Jul 2011
Phone-hacking: MPs to quiz Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks

News Corporation chiefs Rupert and James Murdoch and former executive Rebekah Brooks will be quizzed by MPs later about the phone-hacking scandal.

» 19 Jul 2011
Silvio Berlusconi bid to move Ruby sex trial rejected

A court in Milan has decided it is competent to hear Silvio Berlusconi's sex trial

» 19 Jul 2011
Hillary Clinton begins key India talks

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has held talks with Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna

» 19 Jul 2011
Chavez to run in 2012 poll, says Venezuela minister

The Venezuelan government says there is no doubt President Hugo Chavez will stand for re-election next year

» 18 Jul 2011
Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson quits

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has resigned following the phone hacking scandal.

» 18 Jul 2011
Habsburg: Austro-Hungarian heir heart buried

The heart of the last heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Otto von Habsburg, has been buried in central Hungary.

» 18 Jul 2011
Japan plans to ban Fukushima beef

Japan's government is set to suspend all cattle shipments from Fukushima as concerns over radiation-tainted beef escalate.

» 18 Jul 2011
South Africa celebrates Nelson Mandela 93rd birthday

South Africans are set to celebrate ex-President Nelson Mandela's 93rd birthday.

» 15 Jul 2011
Nato leaders in new diplomatic push on Libya

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is meeting Nato leaders in Turkey to seek a solution to the Libya crisis.

» 15 Jul 2011
Phone hacking: Murdoch defends handling of crisis

News Corporation's chairman Rupert Murdoch says his company has handled the phone-hacking crisis "extremely well"..

» 15 Jul 2011
Horn of Africa drought: Kenya to open Ifo II camp

Kenya has agreed to open a new refugee camp near its border with Somalia

» 15 Jul 2011
Live coverage: Mumbai blast & after

Serial blasts struck Mumbai Wednesday evening, less than three years after the 26/11 terrorist attacks of 2008

» 15 Jul 2011
Mauritius gets 3 Million euros for pirate trials

Mauritius has secured 3 million euros ($4.25 million) from the European Union for the trial and detention of suspected Somali pirates

» 14 Jul 2011
Mumbai blasts prompt high alert

Indian cities are on a state of high alert after three blasts shook the commercial hub Mumbai, killing 18 people and hurting dozens.

» 14 Jul 2011
Moody to review US triple-A debt rating

Ratings agency Moody's has said it may cut the US AAA debt rating..

» 14 Jul 2011
Colombian colonel sentenced for faking civilian murders

A Colombian army colonel has admitted his unit murdered 57 civilians

» 14 Jul 2011
Egypt to sack 700 police over killing of protesters

Almost 700 senior police officers in Egypt are being removed from their jobs

» 13 Jul 2011
Phone hacking: Tories join call over BSkyB bid

The Conservatives and Lib Dems are set to back a Labour motion urging Rupert Murdoch to withdraw his bid for BSkyB.

» 13 Jul 2011
Guatemala arrests two over Facundo Cabral killing

Police in Guatemala have arrested two men over the killing of prominent Argentine singer Facundo Cabral.

» 13 Jul 2011
Nigeria Boko Haram attacks: Thousands flee Maiduguri

Thousands of Nigerians are fleeing the north-eastern city of Maiduguri following a spate of recent attacks

» 13 Jul 2011
Japan to continue Antarctic whaling

There has been speculation that campaigns by activists, money problems and new rules at sea

» 12 Jul 2011
France President Sarkozy arrives in Afghanistan

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit..

» 12 Jul 2011
Petrol bombs thrown at police during Belfast riots

Crowds of nationalists have thrown petrol bombs and masonry at police during serious rioting in west Belfast.

» 12 Jul 2011
Bolivian snow storm cuts off thousands

The worst snow storms in Bolivia in the last 20 years have left thousands of people stranded.

» 12 Jul 2011
Obama: US debt talks failure could restart recession

Failure to raise the US debt ceiling could trigger another recession and throw millions out of work

» 11 Jul 2011
Brooks could be quizzed as witness by phone-hack police

News International chief Rebekah Brooks could be questioned by police investigating phone hacking by the News of the World

» 11 Jul 2011
Colombia jail break: More than dozen inmates hunted

Police in Colombia are hunting for more than a dozen prisoners after a mass jail break in Tumaco

» 11 Jul 2011
Many missing as Russian boat Bulgaria sinks on Volga

More than 180 passengers and crew were believed to be on the Bulgaria

» 11 Jul 2011
Qantas sees $122m carbon tax cost warns of fare rises

Qantas Airways claims the new carbon tax is likely to increase the cost of its operations..

» 08 Jul 2011
Japan current account surplus falls sharply in May

Japan's current account surplus fell sharply in May.

» 08 Jul 2011
Dorset pliosaur: Most fearsome predator unveiled

A skull belonging to one of the largest "sea monsters" ever unearthed is being unveiled

» 08 Jul 2011
Surgeons carry out first synthetic windpipe transplant

Surgeons in Sweden have carried out the world's first synthetic organ transplant.

» 08 Jul 2011
US debt limit: Obama says sides are still far apart

Democrats and Republicans remain "far apart on a wide range of issues" in budget talks

» 07 Jul 2011
Strauss-Kahn prosecutor stands firm over leaks

The chief prosecutor in the attempted rape trial of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has rejected calls to stand down.

» 07 Jul 2011
US firearms head admits Mexico firearms sting mistakes

The head of the US firearms agency has told Congress that mistakes were made during a sting operation..

» 07 Jul 2011
Slovenian pet bear cub put in shelter after kidnap

A wild bear cub which was adopted by a Slovenian family, then apparently kidnapped, has finally been settled in a home for orphaned bears in Romania.

» 07 Jul 2011
China denies Jiang Zemin death rumours

Chinese state media has denied as "pure rumour" internet and media reports that former leader Jiang Zemin has died.

» 06 Jul 2011
UNHCR in Somalia human tragedy warning

The levels of malnutrition among children fleeing Somalia's drought could lead to a "human tragedy

» 06 Jul 2011
Karachi: Report says 1,100 killed in first half of 2011

More than 1,100 people have been shot dead in political violence in the Pakistani city of Karachi

» 06 Jul 2011
E. coli: EU bans Egyptian seeds after fenugreek link

The EU has banned the import of some Egyptian seeds and beans after fenugreek was linked to the E. coli outbreaks

» 06 Jul 2011
Portugal debt is downgraded to junk status by Moody

The credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Portugal's debt to junk status.

» 06 Jul 2011
Singapore to assist Mauritius improve water management

Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) has signed a contract with the Mauritius Government

» 05 Jul 2011
Chavez health: Venezuelan president vows to beat cancer

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has addressed thousands of supporters in the capital, Caracas..

» 05 Jul 2011
Japan Reconstruction Minister Ryu Matsumoto quits

Japan's Minister for Reconstruction Ryu Matsumoto has announced his resignation after just a week in the job.

» 05 Jul 2011
India health minister: Gay sex is a disease

India's health minister has said homosexuality is a "disease" which is "spreading fast" in the country.

» 05 Jul 2011
Strauss-Kahn to face Tristane Banon rape allegation

French writer Tristane Banon is to file a complaint for attempted rape against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn

» 04 Jul 2011
Thailand army accepts Thaksin sister election win

Thailand's outgoing defence minister has said the army accepts the election victory of Yingluck Shinawatra

» 04 Jul 2011
Mladic to boycott Hague tribunal hearing, says lawyer

Ex-Bosnian Serb army head Ratko Mladic will boycott a hearing at The Hague war crimes tribunal where he is due to enter pleas, his lawyer said.

» 04 Jul 2011
India parties pledge anti-corruption law

India's political parties have agreed that a "strong and effective" anti-corruption law should be ready before the next session of parliament.

» 04 Jul 2011
Lindsay Ann Hawker accused admits killing teacher

A Japanese man has admitted raping and killing a British teacher whose body was found buried in a bathtub.

» 01 Jul 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn: Doubts over maid

The sex assault case against former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn appears to be in trouble amid reported concerns over the alleged victim's credibility.

» 01 Jul 2011
Morocco votes on King Mohammed

Moroccans are going to the polls to vote on a series of constitutional amendments and reforms.

» 01 Jul 2011
Chavez tells of surgery to remove cancerous tumour

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has revealed he has had surgery to remove a cancerous tumour

» 01 Jul 2011
San Francisco advisory board weighs pet sale ban

The US city of San Francisco is weighing a proposal to ban the sale of pets within its borders.

» 30 Jun 2011
Greece crisis: EU welcomes Greek MPs

The European Union has welcomed the Greek parliament's vote in favour of a severe austerity package that has sparked strikes and violent protests.

» 30 Jun 2011
Toyota recalls 110,000 hybrid cars on safety concerns

The world's biggest carmaker Toyota is to recall more than 110,000 hybrid vehicles over concerns about a problem with the power supply circuit.

» 30 Jun 2011
China suppresses human rights lawyers, says Amnesty

The UK-based human rights group Amnesty International has accused China of suppressing lawyers who become involved in politically-sensitive cases.

» 30 Jun 2011
Libya: AU condemns French arms drop to rebels

African Union Commission chief Jean Ping says France's decision to air-drop weapons to Libyan rebels is dangerous and puts the whole region at risk.

» 29 Jun 2011
Kabul hotel attack: Nato helicopters kill Taliban

Nato helicopters were called in to kill three militants to end a five-hour clash by suicide bombers and gunmen on a hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

» 29 Jun 2011
Christine Lagarde named IMF chief

France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, 55, has been named the first woman to head the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

» 29 Jun 2011
India court suspends Tata Motors land return

India's Supreme Court has directed the government of West Bengal to suspend the return of land acquired by a car maker to farmers.

» 29 Jun 2011
Hugo Chavez: Cuban TV airs new footage

New pictures and video footage of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez have been shown on Cuban state television.

» 28 Jun 2011
Greek unions stage general strike

Trade unions in Greece have begun a 48-hour general strike, hours after PM George Papandreou urged parliament to back an austerity package.

» 28 Jun 2011
Libya: Hospitals in rebel-held Benghazi face crisis

A medical crisis is looming in eastern Libya with hospitals in Benghazi running short of supplies, the rebels' health minister says.

» 28 Jun 2011
Ex-Illinois Governor Blagojevich guilty of corruption

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been found guilty of trying to sell the US Senate seat

» 28 Jun 2011
Afghan central bank governor Abdul Qadeer Fitrat flees

The governor of Afghanistan's central bank, Abdul Qadeer Fitrat, has resigned and fled the country, saying his life is in danger for investigating fraud.

» 27 Jun 2011
Libya: Fierce fighting south-west of Tripoli

Rebel forces in Libya have clashed with troops loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi about 80km (50 miles) south-west of the capital, Tripoli.

» 27 Jun 2011
Philip Morris battles Australia on cigarette packaging

Tobacco giant Philip Morris has threatened to sue the Australian government over its plan to introduce plain, brandless packing for cigarettes.

» 27 Jun 2011
Karzai accuses Pakistan of firing rockets

A bomb attack in the north-eastern Nigerian town of Maiduguri has killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens, officials say.

» 27 Jun 2011
Bolivia moves to end dependence on foreign seed firms

The Bolivian president, Evo Morales, has signed a new law which aims to ensure food security for his country.

» 24 Jun 2011
China inflation under control - PM

Chinese premier Wen Jiabao has said that China can control inflation and maintain its robust growth.

» 24 Jun 2011
Dutch MP cleared of inciting racism

A far-right politician in The Netherlands has been acquitted of inciting hatred against Muslims.

» 24 Jun 2011
Pair charged with plotting to attack US military target

Two men have been arrested and charged with plotting to attack a US military recruiting station in the city of Seattle

» 24 Jun 2011
Type 2 diabetes in newly diagnosed

An extreme eight-week diet of 600 calories a day can reverse Type 2 diabetes in people newly diagnosed with the disease..

» 23 Jun 2011
Obama orders withdrawal of 33,000 troops

President Barack Obama has announced the withdrawal of 10,000 US troops from Afghanistan..

» 23 Jun 2011
Former French minister Georges Tron charged with rape

A former French minister and mayor with the ruling party has been charged with rape after accusations he sexually assaulted women working for him

» 23 Jun 2011
Airbus and IndiGo confirm record deal for 180 aircraft

Airbus piled up the orders at the Paris Air Show as it confirmed the largest single order of aircraft in aviation history.

» 23 Jun 2011
Alleged Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger held

Alleged Boston gang leader James "Whitey" Bulger has been arrested near Los Angeles following 16 years on the run..

» 22 Jun 2011
North Sudan to block oil pipeline if south will not pay

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has threatened to shut pipelines carrying South Sudan's oil..

» 22 Jun 2011
World oldest person dies at 114 in Brazil

A Brazilian woman thought to be the world's oldest person has died at the age of 114.

» 22 Jun 2011
Syria unrest: Clashes amid large Pro-Assad rallies

Clashes have broken out between supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and anti-government protesters in Homs, Hama and Deir al-Zour.

» 22 Jun 2011
French former minister Georges Tron held over sex case

French police have detained former minister Georges Tron over sex charges, the local prosecutor's office has said.

» 20 Jun 2011
Eurozone ministers delay decision on vital loan

Eurozone finance ministers have postponed a final decision on a 12bn-euro (£10-bn) loan to Greece.

» 20 Jun 2011
Tunisia: Ben Ali trial in absentia to begin

The trial in absentia of ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali is due to begin later

» 20 Jun 2011
Syria: Pesident Bashar al-Assad to address nation

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is to address the nation for the first time in two months..

» 20 Jun 2011
US confirms Taliban peace talks

Outgoing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has confirmed that the US is holding "outreach" talks with members of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

» 17 Jun 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn complained about handcuffing

Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn complained about being handcuffed and initially claimed diplomatic immunity

» 17 Jun 2011
Gang wars kill 33 in Mexican city

Mexican officials say 33 people have been killed in the space of 24 hours in Mexico's industrial capital, Monterrey.

» 16 Jun 2011
Ayman al-Zawahiri appointed as al-Qaeda leader

Al-Qaeda has appointed Ayman al-Zawahiri as leader following the death of Osama Bin Laden, the organisation's general command says in a statement.

» 16 Jun 2011
White House: US can act in Libya without Congress

President Barack Obama does not need congressional approval for the US to continue its role in the Nato-led Libya mission..

» 16 Jun 2011
Greek PM George Papandreou to unveil new cabinet

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is set to announce a new cabinet in a concessionary move as he seeks support for new austerity measures.

» 16 Jun 2011
Fazul Abdullah Mohammed South Africa passport

The South African passport carried by senior al-Qaeda militant Fazul Abdullah Mohammed was a forgery, South African officials say.

» 15 Jun 2011
UK presses Sri Lanka over Channel 4 War Crimes Film

The UK Foreign Office has pressed Sri Lanka to investigate alleged atrocities during its civil war after "horrific" footage aired in a TV programme.

» 15 Jun 2011
Syrian forces fan out to quash anti-regime protests

Syrian tanks have fanned out around towns and villages near the Turkish border, widening a crackdown on 12 weeks of anti-government protests.

» 15 Jun 2011
Barack Obama pledges support in rare Puerto Rico visit

US President Barack Obama has made a rare visit to Puerto Rico, marking the first official trip to the island by a sitting US president since 1961.

» 15 Jun 2011
Brazil: Another Amazon anti-logging activist killed

Another land campaigner in Brazil's Amazon region has been shot dead.

» 14 Jun 2011
Sudan to withdraw Abyei forces

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and southern leader Salva Kiir have reportedly agreed to withdraw all troops from the disputed town of Abyei.

» 14 Jun 2011
Gaza unemployment levels

Gaza's unemployment rate was among the world's highest, at 45.2% in late 2010, the UN has found, as Israel's blockade of the territory enters its fifth year.

» 14 Jun 2011
Italy nuclear: Berlusconi accepts referendum blow

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has accepted the rejection of his nuclear power plans and other policies in a popular referendum.

» 14 Jun 2011
IMF shortlists Christine Lagarde and Agustin Carstens

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has shortlisted two candidates to take over as its managing director.

» 13 Jun 2011
Peruvian President-elect Humala could pardon Fujimori

Peru's President-elect Ollanta Humala says he would pardon former President Alberto Fujimori on humanitarian grounds if his health worsens.

» 13 Jun 2011
Flights in Australia grounded for second day due to ash

Volcanic ash from Chile has continued to disrupt air travel in Australia and New Zealand for a second day.

» 13 Jun 2011
Turkey PM Erdogan to build consensus after poll win

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to build consensus with opposition parties, after securing a third term in office.

» 13 Jun 2011
India yoga guru Baba Ramdev ends hunger strike

Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev has ended a nine-day anti-corruption hunger strike.

» 10 Jun 2011
Iraq will ask US troops to stay post-2011, says Panetta

Iraq will ask the US to keep troops in the country beyond an end-of-2011 pullout deadline, says the nominee to be the next US defence secretary.

» 10 Jun 2011
Tahawwur Rana convicted of aiding Mumbai attack group

A US jury has convicted a Chicago businessman of supporting an Islamic militant group blamed for the Mumbai attack in 2008.

» 10 Jun 2011
France Lagarde still favourite as IMF nominations due

Nominations close later for the post of head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

» 10 Jun 2011
China cable cutting angers Vietnam in Spratlys row

Vietnam has accused China of attacking one of its survey ships in an escalating row over disputed waters in the South China Sea.

» 09 Jun 2011
Talks focus on post-Gaddafi Libya

Talks focus on post-Gaddafi LibyaWestern and Arab nations are to meet in the United Arab Emirates to discuss how events in Libya..

» 09 Jun 2011
Pakistan: US drone strike

At least 15 people have been killed in a US drone strike in the Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan, officials say.

» 09 Jun 2011
Morocco probes orgy claims against ex-French minister

Morocco has launched an inquiry into allegations that a French ex-minister was caught in an orgy with young boys on its territory.

» 09 Jun 2011
Brazil rejects Italy appeal for Battisti extradition

Brazil's Supreme Court says it won't extradite a former left-wing Italian militant, Cesare Battisti, to Italy.

» 08 Jun 2011
UK and France seek UN action over Syria

Britain and France are stepping up pressure for a UN Security Council vote condemning the Syrian government's suppression of months of unrest.

» 08 Jun 2011
China aircraft carrier confirmed by general

The head of China's General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has confirmed that China's first aircraft carrier is under construction.

» 08 Jun 2011
Mexico gunmen kill 11 at Torreon drugs clinic

Gunmen have attacked a drugs treatment centre in northern Mexico, killing 11 people and injuring two others.

» 08 Jun 2011
New Zealand mourns Shrek the sheep

Shrek the New Zealand sheep, whose ability to avoid the shearers made him a national celebrity, has died

» 07 Jun 2011
Fatal floods hit southern China after prolonged drought

At least 14 people have been killed in raging flood waters that have swept through south-western Guizhou province.

» 07 Jun 2011
Ex-IMF chief Strauss-Kahn pleads not guilty

The former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Khan, has entered a plea of not guilty..

» 07 Jun 2011
Darfur: Bulgarian UN air crew freed in Sudan

Three Bulgarian air crew members working for the United Nations in Sudan have been set free six months after they were kidnapped in Darfur.

» 07 Jun 2011
Kenyan police: Campaign to purge corrupt officers

Kenya has started screening more than 1,600 senior police officers in an effort to weed out corruption.

» 06 Jun 2011
Portugal election: Socialists admit defeat

Portugal's governing Socialist Party has admitted defeat in the general election.

» 06 Jun 2011
Peru election: Ollanta Humala claims victory

Peru's Ollanta Humala has declared victory over rival Keiko Fujimori in the presidential election run-off.

» 06 Jun 2011
Royal newlyweds to move to palace

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to move into a home at Kensington Palace

» 06 Jun 2011
Pope celebrates Mass in Croatia

Pope Benedict XVI has celebrated Mass, focusing on family values, before tens of thousands of people in the Croatian capital, Zagreb.

» 03 Jun 2011
Yemen: Thousands of tribesmen march on Sanaa

Fighting is worsening in the Yemeni capital as tribal fighters reportedly try to fight their way through government lines north of the city.

» 03 Jun 2011
Somalia interim government needs more time - Uganda

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said Somalia's transitional government should be given another year to consolidate gains

» 03 Jun 2011
Brazil launches anti-poverty plan

Brazil has launched a welfare scheme to lift millions out of extreme poverty by 2014, which President Dilma Rousseff calls her government's key priority.

» 03 Jun 2011
Mitt Romney announces bid to be US president in 2012

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has entered the race to be the Republican candidate for US president in 2012..

» 02 Jun 2011
US not trying to hold China down, says Robert Gates

The US is not trying to hold China down or block it as a global power, Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said.

» 02 Jun 2011
Libya conflict: UN accuses both sides of war crimes

UN investigators have accused government forces in Libya of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

» 02 Jun 2011
Pakistan ISI denies involvement in reporter

The Pakistani intelligence service has made a rare public statement to deny any involvement in the murder of journalist Saleem Shahzad.

» 02 Jun 2011
New charges for 9/11 suspects held at Guantanamo

US military prosecutors have filed new charges against self-described 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed..

» 01 Jun 2011
Somalia surge in child casualties, says UN

There has been a sharp rise in the number of children being injured in fighting in Somalia, the UN says.

» 01 Jun 2011
Colombia fined over rebel attack

A Colombian court has ordered the state to pay $1m in damages to three soldiers injured in a 1996 left-wing rebel attack on a military base.

» 01 Jun 2011
Hillary Clinton condemns Pakistan journalist

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned the murder of a Pakistani journalist..

» 01 Jun 2011
Australian economy sees sharpest contraction since 1991

Australia has reported its biggest quarterly fall in gross domestic product (GDP) in 20 years.

» 31 May 2011
Silvio Berlusconi loses Milan and Naples in local polls

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition has lost control of Milan and Naples in local elections

» 31 May 2011
Martin Dempsey named new joint chiefs head

Gen Martin Dempsey has been nominated as the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the highest US military post.

» 31 May 2011
Spain indicts Salvadoran soldiers for Jesuit killings

A Spanish judge has charged 20 Salvadoran soldiers with the killing of six Jesuit priests

» 31 May 2011
Food prices

The prices of staple foods will more than double in 20 years unless world leaders take action to reform the global food system

» 30 May 2011
Mladic to file extradition appeal

Former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic is set to file an appeal on Monday against his extradition to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

» 30 May 2011
Germany pledges to end all nuclear power by 2022

Germany's ruling coalition says it has agreed a date of 2022 for the shutdown of all of its nuclear power plants.

» 30 May 2011
Libya: South Africa Jacob Zuma in peace mission

South African President Jacob Zuma is heading for Libya for what is being seen as a last attempt to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

» 30 May 2011
Joplin tornado: City falls silent to remember victims

The city of Joplin in the US state of Missouri has observed a moment's silence..

» 26 May 2011
US withdraws diplomats from Yemen amid clashes

The US has ordered all its non-essential diplomats and family members of embassy staff to leave Yemen as fighting there escalates.

» 26 May 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn: Ex-IMF boss changes housing

The former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been moved to a new, more permanent location in New York City

» 26 May 2011
Iceland volcano ash: German air traffic resuming

Air traffic over northern Germany is returning to normal after being disrupted by volcanic ash from Iceland.

» 26 May 2011
Georgia riot police clear Tbilisi protesters

Riot police in Georgia have cleared anti-government protesters from outside the parliament building in Tbilisi.

» 25 May 2011
President Obama in UK: Visit focus shifts to politics

Afghanistan and Libya are expected to feature prominently when US President Barack Obama and David Cameron meet for talks at Downing Street later.

» 25 May 2011
Palestinians reject Israel speech

Palestinian officials have dismissed Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress, saying it will not lead to peace.

» 25 May 2011
Suicide car bomb razes Pakistan police station

Four people have been killed and 22 others wounded in a suicide car bomb attack on a police station in Peshawar, in north-west Pakistan.

» 25 May 2011
Brazilian Amazon activist and wife ambushed and killed

A prominent Brazilian conservationist and his wife have been killed in the Amazon region, police have said.

» 24 May 2011
President Obama to get royal welcome on UK state visit

The US-UK partnership is "an essential relationship for us and for the world", the countries' leaders have said ahead of the US president's visit to Britain.

» 24 May 2011
Missouri tornado deaths pass 100

Officials in the US state of Missouri say at least 116 people are now confirmed dead after a tornado hit the city of Joplin.

» 24 May 2011
Colombian security forces seize massive cocaine haul

The Colombian security forces say they have seized a massive haul of cocaine in the port city of Cartagena.

» 24 May 2011
Suicide bombing in Kazakhstan, casualties reported

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the headquarters of the security services in the Kazakh capital Astana early Tuesday

» 23 May 2011
Pakistan: Militants attack Karachi naval air base

Gunmen have attacked a military base in the Pakistani city of Karachi, killing at least 11 soldiers, officials say.

» 23 May 2011
Appeal to trace tiger toy owner after police alert

Police are trying to trace the owner of a life-sized tiger toy which sparked a major police alert in Hampshire over fears a real animal was on the loose.

» 23 May 2011
Obama due in Ireland at start of European tour

US President Barack Obama is on his way to the Republic of Ireland at the start of a week-long tour of Europe.

» 23 May 2011
North Korea leader in China again

The North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is visiting China to better understand the country's economic development, the South Korean government has said.

» 20 May 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn: Ex-IMF boss wins New York bail

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been granted bail by a judge in a New York court, after being formally charged with trying to rape a hotel maid.

» 20 May 2011
Libya: Nato strikes hit eight Gaddafi warships in ports

Nato air strikes have hit eight warships belonging to Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces in co-ordinated raid on Tripoli, Al Khums and Sirte.

» 20 May 2011
Paralysed man can stand and move his legs again

A US man who was paralysed from the chest down after being hit by a car is now able to stand with electrical stimulation of his spinal cord.

» 20 May 2011
Bolivia pastor jailed for Mexico plane hijack

A Bolivian pastor has been jailed for more than seven years in Mexico for hijacking a passenger plane in 2009.

» 19 May 2011
Egypt revolt: Amnesty International urges deeper probe

Egypt still has more work to do to give justice to those killed and injured during the rallies that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, Amnesty International says.

» 19 May 2011
Brazil: Amazon rainforest deforestation rises sharply

Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest has increased almost sixfold, new data suggests.

» 19 May 2011
Afghanistan: Twelve dead at protest over Nato raid

At least 12 people have been shot and killed by security forces in northern Afghanistan during a protest against a Nato-led raid, officials say.

» 19 May 2011
Japan back in recession as earthquake cuts consumption

Japan, the world's third largest economy, contracted sharply in the first three months of the year, after a tsunami and earthquake caused devastation in March.

» 18 May 2011
Mexico: 500 migrants found in trucks in Chiapas

More than 500 illegal migrants have been discovered crammed into the trailers of two trucks heading from Mexico towards the US.

» 18 May 2011
Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev to face media

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is due to hold his first large news conference since taking office.

» 18 May 2011
South Africa holds crucial vote

South Africans are going to vote in local elections after one of the most bitterly fought campaigns in years.

» 18 May 2011
Italy Silvio Berlusconi suffers election setback

Allies of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have suffered setbacks in local elections seen by analysts as a test of his government's popularity.

» 17 May 2011
Strauss-Kahn faces tough routine at Rikers Island jail

In only two days, Dominique Strauss-Kahn has moved from a $3,000-a-night penthouse suite to a cell in one of America's most notorious prisons.

» 17 May 2011
Queen on first state visit to Republic of Ireland

The Queen is set to begin the first visit to the Republic of Ireland by a British monarch.

» 17 May 2011
Pope Benedict orders action on sex abuse

Pope Benedict has told bishops around the world to promptly report all suspected cases of sexual abuse..

» 17 May 2011
Toyota to face claims from owners after US court ruling

Toyota car owners in the US can pursue claims that the carmaker caused the value of their vehicle to fall, a federal judge has ruled.

» 16 May 2011
IMF chief Strauss-Kahn undergoing tests over sex charge

Police say the 32-year-old woman who made the allegations has formally identified him in a line-up

» 16 May 2011
Violence erupts at Israel borders

Israeli forces have fired on groups of protesters at borders with the Palestinian territories, Syria and Lebanon.

» 16 May 2011
Japan moves people beyond bigger Fukushima no-go zone

Residents have been moved further away from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant as the no-go zone is extended and repair works are halted.

» 16 May 2011
Drug feud kills 27 in Guatemala

The decapitated bodies of at least 25 men and two women have been found near Guatemala's border with Mexico.

» 13 May 2011
Mexican jail governor decapitated

Police in Mexico have found eight decapitated bodies in the northern state of Durango.

» 13 May 2011
Japans government approves Tepco compensation scheme

Japan's government has approved a plan to help Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) compensate victims of the crisis at its tsunami-crippled nuclear plant.

» 13 May 2011
Bin Laden death: Security fears for US Navy Seal team

The US is to tighten security around the elite military unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said.

» 13 May 2011
Pakistan paramilitary Shabqadar base bombings

Twin bomb attacks on a paramilitary force academy in north-west Pakistan have killed 80 people, police say.

» 12 May 2011
Libya rebels capture Misrata airport

Libyan rebels say they have captured Misrata airport, driving back troops loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi.

» 12 May 2011
Syria tanks shell protest city of Homs

Tanks have been shelling Syria's third biggest city, Homs, as security forces continue their crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests, reports say.

» 12 May 2011
Spain: Earthquake rocks Lorca, Murcia, killing 10

Hundreds of people have spent the night outdoors in the southern Spanish town of Lorca after an earthquake which killed at least 10 people.

» 12 May 2011
Honduras ex-president Manuel Zelaya wants to go home

Honduras' former President Manuel Zelaya - ousted two years ago - wants to return home, his aides say.

» 11 May 2011
Uganda opposition leader Besigye

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye says he has been prevented from returning home from Kenya after receiving medical treatment in Nairobi.

» 11 May 2011
Obama calls for migrant overhaul

President Barack Obama has called for broad reform of the US immigration system, while highlighting steps he has taken to strengthen border security.

» 11 May 2011
Two Swedes jailed for life over Philippine cybersex den

Two Swedish men, arrested in 2009, have been jailed for life for running a cybersex operation in the Philippines.

» 11 May 2011
Libya: Col Gaddafi targeted in series of precision strikes

Col Muammar Gaddafi and his armed forces have been directly targeted in a series of precision strikes in Tripoli and the key town of Misurata ..

» 10 May 2011
Libya: UN Valerie Amos seeks pause in fighting

UN aid chief Valerie Amos has called for a pause in hostilities in Libya to help ease the humanitarian crisis.

» 10 May 2011
Mexican drug war protest echoed on US border, around world

Thousands of Mexicans thronged the streets of their embattled nation this weekend demanding an end to drug war bloodshed with a national march entitled "We've had it UP TO HERE."

» 10 May 2011
Afghan forces not ready for security role, Oxfam warns

Afghan forces are not ready to take over responsibility for security from Nato, a leading British charity says.

» 10 May 2011
Cuba reform may permit foreign travel

Cuba says it is studying plans that would allow its citizens to travel abroad as tourists for the first time in more than 50 years.

» 09 May 2011
Ecuador President Rafael Correa wins referendum

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has won a referendum on a wide range of reforms, according to the country's National Election Council.

» 09 May 2011
US presses Pakistan on Bin Laden

US President Barack Obama has called on Pakistan to investigate the network that sustained Osama Bin Laden in his hideout where he was killed last week.

» 09 May 2011
Syrian army surrounds Damascus suburb

Heavy shooting has been heard in a western suburb of the Syrian capital, Damascus, after the army cordoned off the area, human rights activists say.

» 09 May 2011
Italy PM Berlusconi in court over Mills

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has appeared in court on charges he bribed a witness to perjure himself in another trial.

» 06 May 2011
Syria protests: Banias fear amid Deraa pullout reports

Syrian activists are preparing to take to the streets on Friday for what they are calling a "day of defiance".

» 06 May 2011
Libya: Contact group creates fund for rebels

The international contact group on Libya has agreed to create a temporary fund to assist rebel groups, during talks in Rome.

» 06 May 2011
Most wanted Nazi Sandor Kepiro, 97, tried in Hungary

A 97-year-old Hungarian accused of massacring civilians in Serbia in 1942 has gone on trial in Hungary.

» 06 May 2011
Royal newly-weds to visit US after Canada tour

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to pay an official visit to the US following their first overseas tour to Canada this summer.

» 05 May 2011
Libya: Aid ship comes under fire in Misrata

Libya aid ship comes under fireAn international aid ship helping to evacuate people from the besieged Libyan port of Misrata

» 05 May 2011
Vote 2011: Public going to the polls across UK

Voters across the UK are going to the polls in a series of national and local elections as well as a referendum to decide the way MPs are elected.

» 05 May 2011
Boy charged with Florida murders of British tourists

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murdering two British tourists in Florida.

» 04 May 2011
Bin Laden: Pakistan rejects US fear of raid leaks

Pakistan has hit back at US statements suggesting it could not be trusted with details of the operation which killed Osama Bin Laden.

» 04 May 2011
Prince Charles to meet Barack Obama in Washington

The Prince of Wales is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington on the second day of his official visit to the US.

» 04 May 2011
Mexico miners killed in underground explosion

Four workers have been killed and 10 are trapped underground after a blast at a coal mine in northern Mexico.

» 04 May 2011
Syria: Army surrounds Baniyas days after Deraa siege

Syrian security forces have surrounded the coastal city of Baniyas, activists say, days after tanks and troops took control of Deraa in the south.

» 02 May 2011
Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden dead - Barack Obama

Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US forces in Pakistan, President Barack Obama has said.

» 02 May 2011
Air France flight data recorder recovered

One of two flight recorders from an Air France plane that crashed in 2009 off the coast of Brazil has been recovered, officials say.

» 02 May 2011
Marrakesh cafe bomb was set off remotely

The bomb that killed 16 people in a cafe in Marrakesh was set off by a remote-controlled device, Morroco's interior minister has said.

» 29 Apr 2011
Royal wedding: William and Kate set for Abbey service

Crowds are gathering in central London for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey.

» 29 Apr 2011
World awaits Britain royal wedding

Hundreds of millions of people around the world are expected to watch the royal wedding..

» 29 Apr 2011
Factbox: Music and hymns at Britains royal wedding

Britain's Prince William and his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton will marry on Friday at London's Westminster Abbey.

» 29 Apr 2011
Balcony kiss seals royal wedding

Prince William and Kate Middleton have kissed twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding service in Westminster Abbey.

» 29 Apr 2011
Kate and William become Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Prince William has been made Duke of Cambridge, and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge, Buckingham Palace has said.

» 28 Apr 2011
Storms kills dozens in Alabama and southern US

Severe storms in the US state of Alabama have killed at least 45 people, officials say, as tornadoes tore across the southern US.

» 28 Apr 2011
Brazil Air France crash: Flight recorder found empty

Search teams say they have discovered part of a flight recorder from the Air France plane that crashed in 2009, off the coast of Brazil.

» 28 Apr 2011
Syria: EU nations summon Syrian envoys over crackdown

Five EU nations have summoned Syrian ambassadors to condemn Damascus' recent violent crackdown on anti-government protesters..

» 28 Apr 2011
Royal wedding: William and Kate

Prince William and Kate Middleton say they have been "incredibly moved" by the affection shown to them since their engagement.

» 27 Apr 2011
Satya Sai Baba guru funeral draws thousands in India

Nearly half a million people have gathered in the southern Indian town of Puttaparthi for the funeral of the revered Indian spiritual leader Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

» 27 Apr 2011
France and Italy push for reform of Schengen treaty

The leaders of France and Italy have said Europe's Schengen open-border treaty should be revised.

» 27 Apr 2011
Ecuador raises alert as Tungurahua volcano spews ash

Ecuador has declared an amber alert after the Tungurahua volcano started spewing ash again.

» 27 Apr 2011
16 Journalists Detained, Missing in Libya

Sixteen journalists covering the conflict in Libya are reported missing or detained by authorities in the North African country.

» 26 Apr 2011
Brazil hit by deadly floods and landslides

Landslides and floods triggered by torrential rain have killed at least 10 people in southern Brazil.

» 26 Apr 2011
Sri Lanka: UN says shelling killed civilians

The UN has said widespread shelling by the Sri Lankan government killed most of the tens of thousands of civilians..

» 26 Apr 2011
Volcanic ash air shutdown the right decision

Concerns about aircraft safety during the eruption of an Icelandic volcano in 2010 were well founded, according to a new scientific study.

» 26 Apr 2011
Chernobyl nuclear disaster: Ukraine marks anniversary

Ukraine is marking the 25th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident - at the Chernobyl power plant.

» 26 Apr 2011
Mexican police free 51 workers taken hostage

Mexican police have rescued 51 kidnap victims in the north-eastern state of Tamualipas.

» 25 Apr 2011
Libya crisis: Nato strike hits Gaddafi compound

Nato air strike on the Libyan capital Tripoli has badly damaged buildings in Col Muammar Gaddafi's compound.

» 25 Apr 2011
Afghanistan: Hundreds escape from Kandahar prison

More than 470 inmates at a prison in southern Afghanistan have escaped through a tunnel hundreds of metres long and dug from outside the jail.

» 25 Apr 2011
Toyota Japanese output down 63% due to parts shortage

Toyota Motors has said that its Japanese production fell by 63% in March compared with the same month last year.

» 25 Apr 2011
Sai Baba, spiritual guru to millions, dies at 85

The death of Sri Sathya Sai Baba at the age of 85 from heart and breathing problems has prompted scenes of mass grief across India

» 22 Apr 2011
Libya: US sends armed drones to shield rebels

A Predator armed with Hellfire missiles was launched for a sortie on Thursday but was forced to turn back early.

» 22 Apr 2011
Thailand and Cambodia in fresh border clash

Troops from Thailand and Cambodia have again exchanged fire over their disputed border.

» 22 Apr 2011
Japan government announces disaster relief budget

The Japanese government has announced a 4 trillion yen ($48.9bn; £29.6bn) emergency budget for disaster relief, after March's earthquake and tsunami.

» 22 Apr 2011
Michel Martelly officially declared Haitian president

The Japanese government has announced a 4 trillion yen ($48.9bn; £29.6bn) emergency budget for disaster relief, after March's earthquake and tsunami.

» 21 Apr 2011
Japan bans entry into Fukushima evacuation zone

Japan has made it illegal to enter a 20km (12-mile) evacuation zone around the stricken Fukushima nuclear reactor.

» 21 Apr 2011
Colombia: Mudslides cause major damage in Utica

More than 200 families have been left homeless in the central Colombian town of Utica after a mudslide swept away their houses.

» 21 Apr 2011
Rioters torch Australia asylum seeker detention centre

Nick Bryant on the riot at Villawood Detention Centre in which nine buildings were set alight.

» 21 Apr 2011
India successfully launches three satellites into space

India has successfully launched a rocket into space carrying three satellites, officials say.

» 20 Apr 2011
Libya warns UK could worsen war

Libya's foreign minister says a British plan to send a military team to advise rebels fighting Col Gaddafi would harm chances of peace in the country.

» 20 Apr 2011
India nuclear protests stepped up

Crowds ransacked a hospital and set buses alight in a second day of violent protests against a planned nuclear power plant in western India.

» 20 Apr 2011
US Wikileaks suspect to be moved

The US soldier accused of leaking a trove of secret government documents later published by the Wikileaks website is to be moved to a military prison..

» 20 Apr 2011
Italy chocolate tycoon Pietro Ferrero dies in South Africa

Italian chocolate tycoon Pietro Ferrero has died in an accident in South Africa, a company spokesman has said.

» 19 Apr 2011
Libyan government promises aid workers access, UN says

The Libyan government has promised aid workers access to areas under its control, according to the UN.

» 19 Apr 2011
Kiev summit aims to fund new Chernobyl radiation shield

An international conference is being held in Ukraine to finance continuing safety measures at Chernobyl, following the nuclear explosion there in 1986.

» 19 Apr 2011
Rescue efforts continue after lethal US storms

Search and rescue efforts are continuing in the US state of North Carolina after days of storms and tornadoes killed at least 44 people..

» 19 Apr 2011
Students return to Brazil school where gunman shot 12

Students have returned to the school in Brazil where a gunman killed 12 children on 7 April.

» 18 Apr 2011
Jonathan headed for Nigeria win

Goodluck Jonathan is set for election as Nigeria's president with almost double the vote of his main rival, partial results suggest.

» 18 Apr 2011
Nationalist True Finns make gains in Finland vote

A nationalist party has taken nearly a fifth of votes in Finland's general election, the electoral commission says.

» 18 Apr 2011
Yemen: Security forces open fire on protesters in Sanaa

Yemeni security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters gathered in the capital, Sanaa, eyewitnesses say.

» 18 Apr 2011
Cuba President Raul Castro seeks 10-year term limits

Cuban President Raul Castro has said top political positions should be limited to two five-year terms..

» 15 Apr 2011
Libya: Obama, Cameron and Sarkozy vow Gaddafi must go

The leaders of the US, the UK and France have said in a joint letter that there can be no peace in Libya while Muammar Gaddafi stays in power.

» 15 Apr 2011
China police hunt suspect after killing spree

Chinese police are searching for a man suspected of killing 10 people after going on the rampage in north-east China.

» 15 Apr 2011
FBI closes in on zombie PC gang

US crime-fighters are closing in on a gang behind a huge botnet after taking control of the criminals' servers.

» 15 Apr 2011
Colombia mudslide engulfs bus after heavy rain

A mudslide caused by heavy rain has engulfed a bus in Colombia, killing at least 14 people, officials. say.

» 14 Apr 2011
Nato talks to focus on Libya role

Foreign ministers from Nato countries are due to meet in Berlin, with Libya at the top of the agenda.

» 14 Apr 2011
North Korea confirms US citizen is arrested

North Korea has confirmed that it has arrested a US citizen and is preparing to charge him with "committing a crime" against the country.

» 14 Apr 2011
India and China to resume defence exchanges

India and China have agreed to resume defence exchanges which were halted last year after China refused a visa to a Kashmir-based general.

» 14 Apr 2011
Brazil lawmakers to propose referendum on gun law

Brazilian lawmakers say they will propose a national vote on whether to ban the sale of guns, after a deadly shooting at a school last week.

» 13 Apr 2011
Japan government downgrades its outlook for growth

The Japanese government has downgraded its assessment of the economy in the wake of the devastation caused by last month's earthquake and tsunami.

» 13 Apr 2011
Egypt: Mubarak sons detained amid corruption probe

The Japanese government has downgraded its assessment of the economy in the wake of the devastation caused by last month's earthquake and tsunami.

» 13 Apr 2011
Canadian political leaders clash in televised debate

Canada's embattled prime minister has clashed with three opposition leaders in the first of two televised debates, ahead of the 2 May election.

» 13 Apr 2011
Mexico Zetas blamed for mass graves in Tamaulipas

The number of bodies found in mass graves in north-eastern Mexico over the past week has risen to 116, after 28 more corpses were discovered.

» 12 Apr 2011
Japan: Nuclear crisis raised to Chernobyl level

Japan has also said it is extending the evacuation zone around the crippled nuclear plant because of radiation concerns.

» 12 Apr 2011
Mexico mass graves found in Tamaulipas state

The number of bodies found in mass graves in north-eastern Mexico over the past week has risen to 88..

» 12 Apr 2011
Indian PM Singh heading for China

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is travelling to China, as the two countries look to boost economic ties.

» 12 Apr 2011
Australian man who threw daughter off bridge jailed for 32 years

An Australian man who threw his four-year-old daughter to her death off of a Melbourne bridge has been sentenced to life in prison..

» 11 Apr 2011
UK and Netherlands to sue Iceland over lost deposits

The UK and Dutch governments are preparing court action against Iceland to recover 4bn euros (£3.5bn)..

» 11 Apr 2011
Japan PM Naoto Kan makes pledge to tsunami survivors

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has told survivors of last month's devastating tsunami that his government will never abandon them.

» 11 Apr 2011
Peru election: Partial results point to run-off vote

Partial results in Peru's presidential election give left-wing former army officer Ollanta Humala the lead..

» 11 Apr 2011
Libya: Col Gaddafi accepts road map to peace

Col Gaddafi has accepted the African Union's "road map" for a ceasefire with Libya's rebels, according to Jacob Zuma, the South African president.

» 08 Apr 2011
Brazil school shooting: 12 dead after gunman opens fire

A gunman has shot dead at least 12 children at a school in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro

» 08 Apr 2011
Eurozone interest rates raised to 1.25% by ECB

Eurozone interest rates have been raised to 1.25% from the record low of 1% by the European Central Bank (ECB).

» 08 Apr 2011
US budget: Barack Obama hopes to avoid shutdown

Talks aimed at avoiding a shutdown of the US government have broken up with no deal..

» 08 Apr 2011
India offers Anna Hazare new anti-graft panel

The Indian government has offered to form a new panel to draft a strong anti-graft law in response to activist Anna Hazare's

» 07 Apr 2011
Libya: Gaddafi writes to Barack Obama asking him to halt Nato campaign

Col Muammar Gaddafi has written to President Barack Obama asking him to halt the Nato military campaign against Libya

» 07 Apr 2011
Portugal seeks bail-out from the EU

Portugal has said that it needs to ask for financial aid from the European Union.

» 07 Apr 2011
Mexicans march against drug violence

Protest marches have been held in more than 20 cities across Mexico against the drug-related violence.

» 07 Apr 2011
India spiritual leader Sai Baba stable in hospital

he condition of one of India's most revered spiritual leaders, Satya Sai Baba, is showing "signs of improvement"

» 06 Apr 2011
Air Force told to send more planes to Libya

Nato will ask the RAF to contribute more warplanes to step up ground strikes against Col Muammar Gaddafi’s forces..

» 06 Apr 2011
Japan nuclear crisis: Fukushima radiation leak stopped

An accidental leak of highly radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from Japan's damaged nuclear plant has been fixed..

» 06 Apr 2011
Silvio Berlusconi trials breakdown

Silvio Berlusconi goes on trial today on charges that he paid for sex with an underage teenager..

» 06 Apr 2011
Ecuador expels US ambassador over WikiLeaks

Ecuador announced on Tuesday the expulsion of the U.S. ambassador, apparently over a 2009 diplomatic cable divulged by WikiLeaks..

» 05 Apr 2011
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed faces Guantanamo trial for 9/11

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, and four alleged co-conspirators will be tried in a military commission at Guantanamo Bay..

» 05 Apr 2011
Air France Rio crash dead to be recovered - officials

Specialists could start recovering bodies of those killed in Air France's 2009 plane crash off Brazil within weeks, French officials say.

» 05 Apr 2011
Fatal UN plane crash at DR Congos Kinshasa airport

A United Nations plane has crashed at Kinshasa airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing 32 of 33 people on board

» 05 Apr 2011
More corpses located on NY beach

Investigators have found three more sets of human remains on a beach near New York City..

» 01 Apr 2011
Ivory Coast: Heavy fighting near Gbagbo residence

Troops supporting the UN-recognised president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, appear poised for a final push to oust his rival..

» 01 Apr 2011
UN staff killed during protest in northern Afghanistan

At least eight foreign UN workers have been killed in Afghanistan during an attack on a UN compound..

» 01 Apr 2011
Many thousands turn out for Yemen protests

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Yemen again as the country's political crisis deepens.

» 01 Apr 2011
Writer says Gandhi book ban shameful

The author of a book on Mahatma Gandhi has said it is "shameful" that it has been banned..

» 31 Mar 2011
Diamonds worth millions stolen from Basel jewel fair

Four diamonds worth millions of pounds have been stolen..

» 31 Mar 2011
Bali bombing mastermind finally captured

The mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people, including 24 Britons, has finally been captured..

» 31 Mar 2011
China builds higher fences over fears of instability in North Korea

China is reinforcing fences and has stepped up patrols along its border with North Korea..

» 31 Mar 2011
Japan earthquake: president of Fukushima nuclear plant company admitted to hospital

The president of Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, was admitted to hospital

» 30 Mar 2011
Al-Qaeda among Libya rebels, Nato chief fears

Admiral James Stavridis, Nato's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, said that American intelligence had picked up "flickers" of terrorist activity among the rebel groups

» 30 Mar 2011
Japan nuclear crisis: workers

Workers at Japan’s earthquake hit nuclear plant lost ground in the battle to save the plant from meltdown..

» 30 Mar 2011
Foreign spies hack into Australian PM

Chinese hackers seeking information on commercial secrets are suspected of having broken into a computer used by Julia Gillard, the Australian prime minister.

» 30 Mar 2011
Virginia Tech to be fined over handling of shooting

Virginia Tech university will have to pay a maximum $55,000 (£34,400) fine for waiting too long to notify students during the 2007 shooting rampage.

» 29 Mar 2011
Silvio Berlusconi the most accused man in history and the universe

Silvio Berlusconi claimed to be "the most accused man in history and the universe"..

» 29 Mar 2011
Toxic plutonium seeping from Japan

Highly toxic plutonium is seeping from the damaged nuclear power plant in Japan's tsunami disaster zone into the soil outside

» 29 Mar 2011
Obama Defends Military Mission in Libya, Says U.S. Acted to

President Obama, defending his decision to send U.S. forces to Libya while outlining in unprecedented detail his foreign policy philosophy

» 29 Mar 2011
Vote ban angers Saudi women in era of change

Activists for women's rights in Saudi Arabia said its decision on Monday to keep a voting ban in place was "outrageous"..

» 28 Mar 2011
Libya: Gaddafi forces dig in for stand in home town

Nato sources said regime forces who retreated in the face of the rebel advance have begun locating their armour and artiller..

» 28 Mar 2011
China

The seemingly endless flow of young Chinese workers that helped to create the country's economic miracle has now finally "dried up"

» 28 Mar 2011
Hillary Clinton hints at strained US ties with Pakistan

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described relations between the United States and Pakistan on Sunday as "very challenging.

» 28 Mar 2011
Japan nuclear crisis: Japanese fear blunder over rising levels of radiation

Initially, levels of radiation in the water at the plant were said to be 10 million times above normal.

» 25 Mar 2011
Japan tsunami: Toll tops 10,000 two weeks after quake

The death toll from Japan's 11 March earthquake and tsunami has topped 10,000, police say.

» 25 Mar 2011
Libya: French fighter plane destroys first Libyan aircraft

The first Libya aircraft to be destroyed after it breached the no-fly zone was shot down by a French fighter.

» 25 Mar 2011
Over 60 dead, 90 injured in Myanmar quake

More than 60 people were killed and 90 injured after a strong earthquake struck Myanmar

» 25 Mar 2011
China to ban smoking in public from May 1

China has announced that its long-awaited smoking ban will finally come into force in May.

» 24 Mar 2011
Jerusalem bus bomb kills one and injures 30

A bomb in the streets of central Jerusalem, the first in more than six years..

» 24 Mar 2011
Portugal facing £61 billion bail-out as government loses confidence vote

Britain is facing another multi-billion euro bail-out bill as Portugal followed Ireland into debt crisis

» 24 Mar 2011
Libya: Gaddafi compound attacked after air force

Five loud blasts were reported at Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound, where he had made an address on Tuesday night

» 24 Mar 2011
Serious cyber attack on EU bodies before summit

The EU has reported a "serious" cyber attack on the Commission and External Action Service..

» 23 Mar 2011
Middle East round-up: Yemen president warns country on brink of civil war

Yemen's increasingly isolated president warned that his country stood on the brink of civil war..

» 23 Mar 2011
Japan nuclear crisis: fears over food contamination

Fears that radioactive particles could have contaminated food and milk supplies..

» 23 Mar 2011
China bans luxury advertising in Beijing

Beijing has moved to ban billboards promoting a luxurious lifestyle..

» 23 Mar 2011
Obama pledges anti-drug funding on El Salvador visit

US President Barack Obama - on a visit to El Salvador - has promised $200m (£122m) to fight drug trafficking and gang violence in Central America.

» 22 Mar 2011
Japan nuclear crisis: Fears mount over radioactive waste in food

Fears are mounting among Japanese health authorities concerning radioactive waste in foods..

» 22 Mar 2011
Libya: target Gaddafi - war of words over next phase

The Prime Minister was forced to intervene after Gen Sir David Richards appeared to rule out targeting Col Gaddafi directly.

» 22 Mar 2011
52 feared dead in Pakistan coal mine explosion

Rescuers are using shovels and their bare hands in a desperate effort to dig out miners buried after a gas explosion..

» 22 Mar 2011
Cargo plane crashes into Congo city

A cargo plane crashed into a residential area of Pointe-Noire..

» 21 Mar 2011
Libya: Col Muammar Gaddafi faces second night of air attacks from British, French and American forces

In a briefing yesterday, senior Ministry of Defence officials said they were “entirely comfortable” with the success of the attacks..

» 21 Mar 2011
Japan earthquake: 80-year-old grandmother and grandson found alive in rubble after nine days

Sumi Abe, and her grandson Jin Abe, 16, were trapped in the kitchen when their two-storey house collapsed around them in the devastated coastal city of Ishinomaki.

» 21 Mar 2011
Thousands protest in Morocco

Thousands took to the streets in cities across Morocco on Sunday demanding better civil rights.

» 21 Mar 2011
Rain clouds optimism in Japan

While authorities in Japan are slightly more optimistic about their efforts to end the nation's nuclear emergency, rain is disrupting rescue missions

» 21 Mar 2011
Come meet our newest members of the family:

Come meet our newest members of the family

» 18 Mar 2011
Libya: UN approves no-fly zone as British troops prepare for action

Western forces could launch bombing raids against the Libyan regime as early as Friday after the UN backed international military action.

» 18 Mar 2011
Japan nuclear plant progress slow

Emergency workers are battling to cool and restore power to reactors at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant but say progress is slow.

» 18 Mar 2011
Saudi king to address nation amid regional unrest

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah will address the nation on Friday, amid reports of a possible government reshuffle.

» 18 Mar 2011
Hugo Chavez calls off Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he is freezing plans to develop a nuclear energy programme in the light of the crisis in Japan.

» 17 Mar 2011
Japan nuclear plant: Just 48 hours to avoid

Japan has 48 hours to bring its rapidly escalating nuclear crisis under control..

» 17 Mar 2011
Worlds biggest ever paedophile ring cracked

More than 100 suspected paedophiles in Britain were arrested after police cracked the world's "biggest ever" ring of child abusers.

» 17 Mar 2011
Mexico allows US drones into its territory

The Mexican government said on Wednesday it has allowed U.S. drones to fly over its territory to gather intelligence on drug traffickers..

» 17 Mar 2011
Hugo Chavez: profile of failed coup leader turned president

A political survivor known for his left-wing rhetoric, love of baseball and forthright Twitter account, President Hugo Chavez is never far from controversy.

» 16 Mar 2011
Silvio Berlusconi in 13 sexual acts with

Silvio Berlusconi allegedly had 13 "sexual acts" with under age prostitute Karima El Mahroug at his villa near Milan last year.

» 16 Mar 2011
Libya: Britain and France in last ditch effort to secure no-fly zone

Britain and France on Tuesday night formally asked the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone on Libya.

» 16 Mar 2011
Japan earthquake: Japan warned over nuclear plants, WikiLeaks cables show

Japan was warned more than two years ago by the international nuclear watchdog..

» 16 Mar 2011
Japan earthquake: residents flee as quake fears spread

They'd been evacuated once already, pushed from pillar to post, and told that everything was fine. Now the truth was out, and they were fleeing, in their thousands.

» 15 Mar 2011
Libyan rebels urge west to assassinate Gaddafi as his forces near Benghazi

Libya's revolutionary leadership is pressing western powers to assassinate Muammar Gaddafi..

» 15 Mar 2011
Japan crisis: third explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant

A fresh explosion rocked Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant on Tuesday and some workers were ordered to leave the site..

» 15 Mar 2011
Germany suspends power station extension plans as nuclear jitters spread

German chancellor Angela Merkel re-examines move to renew power stations – but US reaffirms support for nuclear power

» 15 Mar 2011
Convicted Somali pirates get life sentences in US court

Five Somali men convicted of attacking a US Navy ship they mistook for a merchant vessel have been sentenced to life in prison.

» 14 Mar 2011
Japan earthquake: race to prevent a humanitarian disaste

Japan was in a race to prevent a humanitarian disaster as rescuers struggled to reach tens of thousands of people left homeless by the tsunami.

» 14 Mar 2011
Australian fisherman survives 40-minute crocodile attack

An Australian fisherman survived an attack by a 13-foot crocodile, punching it with his bare hands in a 40-minute fight.

» 14 Mar 2011
Wikileaks row: US spokesman Crowley quits over gaff

US state department spokesman PJ Crowley has resigned..

» 14 Mar 2011
India is world

India has overtaken China to become the world's largest importer of arms, a Sweden-based think tank says.

» 12 Mar 2011
Japan tsunami: Officials expect death toll to rise greatly

Japan is pushing 50,000 rescue staff into quake and tsunami-devastated areas as officials warn they expect the death toll to "rise greatly"

» 11 Mar 2011
Happy Independence Day Mauritius

Tomorrow Mauritius celebrates its 43rd Independence Day.

» 11 Mar 2011
Eta military chief

The suspected head of armed Basque separatist group Eta has been arrested in northwest France, reports say.

» 11 Mar 2011
22 killed in China quake

At least 22 people were killed and hundreds injured today when a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck southwest China..

» 11 Mar 2011
Photos of Hitler’s Wife Stir the Web

Adolf Hitler is one of the darkest figures of the 20th century. But less is known about his girlfriend, Eva Braun..

» 11 Mar 2011
Queens woman, Claire Abdeldaim, convicted of smuggling $170K in her UNDERWEAR at JFK

A Queens woman has been convicted of smuggling nearly $170,000 in her underwear.

» 11 Mar 2011
Massive 8.9 earthquake, tsunami hit Japan

A massive 8.9 magnitude quake hit northeast Japan Friday, causing many injuries, fires and a four-meter (13-ft) tsunami..

» 10 Mar 2011
Tibet

Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has announced a long-awaited plan to devolve his political responsibilities..

» 10 Mar 2011
Gaddafi forces beat up BBC team

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's security forces detained and beat up a BBC news team..

» 10 Mar 2011
Carlos Slim retains place at top of Forbes

Carlos Slim retains place at top of Forbes' rich list

» 10 Mar 2011
SAS seize Iranian rockets destined for Taliban fighters

British Special Forces in Afghanistan have seized a convoy of powerful Iranian rockets destined for Taliban fighters.

» 09 Mar 2011
Mystery over millions of dead fish in California harbour

Californian fishermen and harbour chiefs were puzzled after millions of dead anchovies were found floating in a marina just south of Los Angeles on Tuesday.

» 09 Mar 2011
Paris police find £16 million in stolen jewels in sewer

French investigators have found jewels valued at €18 million (£15.5 million) hidden in a Paris rain sewer

» 09 Mar 2011
Racegoer wins £1.5m jackpot with £2 stake

A racegoer won almost £1.5million from a £2 stake yesterday after he picked six consecutive winning horses

» 09 Mar 2011
Airport walkouts threaten holiday chaos for millions

Millions of airline passengers face months of disruption after Spanish airport workers announced plans for a series of strikes.

» 08 Mar 2011
Hawaii

A fresh eruption by Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii has sent fountains of lava spewing into the air.

» 08 Mar 2011
Barack Obama lifts ban on Guantánamo Bay trials

President Barack Obama on Monday announced the resumption of military trials at Guantánamo Bay .

» 08 Mar 2011
Clinton Launches 100th Anniversary of International Women

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday launched the "100 Women Initiative

» 07 Mar 2011
18 killed in gunbattles in northeastern Mexico

Gunbattles between rival gangs killed 18 people in a northeastern Mexican town Monday..

» 07 Mar 2011
China acts on inflation to curb social unrest

China will make tackling inflation its top priority this year, and take steps to narrow the gap between rich and poor .

» 07 Mar 2011
Italy PM Silvio Berlusconi plans to attend his trials

The Italian prime minister plans to attend all hearings in his forthcoming trials, his lawyer has said.

» 07 Mar 2011
Egypt protesters attacked by

Pro-democracy activists in Egypt have been attacked by men in plain clothes, armed with knives ..

» 07 Mar 2011
France: Jacques Chirac corruption trial to open

Former French President Jacques Chirac is due to go on trial on charges he misused public funds while he was mayor of Paris, before he was president.

» 04 Mar 2011
Clinton: Former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran being held in Asia

Evidence is growing that a retired FBI agent who disappeared in Iran four years ago is alive and being held in Asia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday.

» 04 Mar 2011
Millions of surgery patients at risk in drug research fraud scandal

Millions of NHS patients have been treated with controversial drugs on the basis of "fraudulent research" by one of the world's leading anaesthetists .

» 04 Mar 2011
China says it will boost its defence budget in 2011

"China's modernisation of its military and increased activity is, along with insufficient transparency, a matter of concern," Yuki Edna, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, said on Thursday.

» 04 Mar 2011
Egypt

Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has resigned, the country's ruling military council has announced in a statement.

» 03 Mar 2011
Pakistan Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti shot dead

Pakistani Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti has been shot dead by gunmen who ambushed his car in broad daylight in the capital, Islamabad

» 03 Mar 2011
Chile Congress blames San Jose mine owners for collapse

A congressional commission in Chile has blamed the mine owners for the rockfall which left 33 men trapped underground for 69 days last year.

» 03 Mar 2011
Fire tornado caught on camera in Hungary

These striking photos were captured during a huge fire at a plastic processing plant in Kistarcsa, a suburb of the Hungarian capital Budapest.

» 03 Mar 2011
Libya: rebels in desperate battle to hold ground

As the Libyan leader vowed in a speech in Tripoli to "fight until the last man and woman

» 01 Mar 2011
Ivory Coast: UN experts attacked in Yamoussoukro

A planned meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the reports has been cancelled.

» 01 Mar 2011
The Middle East in crisis: Tens of thousands protest in Yemen

Tens of thousands of anti-government students are camping out in the streets around Sanaa university

» 01 Mar 2011
Russia plans $650bn defence spend up to 2020

Eight nuclear submarines, 600 jets and 1,000 helicopters feature in plans to renew Russia's military by 2020, priced at 19tn roubles (£400bn; $650bn).

» 01 Mar 2011
Indian budget projects economic growth

India's government has unveiled its annual budget, saying that the economy is expected to grow at 9% in 2012.

» 28 Feb 2011
Libya: Col Gaddafi

Col Muammar Gaddafi’s hold on power was nearing its end as Libyan rebels closed in on his Tripoli stronghold and Britain gave him pariah status by freezing his family’s assets

» 28 Feb 2011
Christchurch quake: Dead are buried as weather worsens

The New Zealand city of Christchurch has begun to bury its dead following last week's devastating earthquake.

» 28 Feb 2011
Afghan bombs: Eight dead at Kandahar dog fight

Eight people have been killed by two bombs at a dog fight in the volatile southern Afghan province of Kandahar.

» 28 Feb 2011
Brazil power cable accident during parade kills 17

At least 17 people have died in a small Brazilian town after a live power cable broke and fell into a crowd of people enjoying a pre-Carnival street party.

» 25 Feb 2011
Gaddafi

Ministers have identified billions of pounds that Col Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan regime have deposited in London

» 25 Feb 2011
Shanghai adopts one-dog policy

Shanghai has adopted a one-dog policy, limiting homes to one canine each as it tries to curb the growing popularity of man's best friend in China's leading metropolis.

» 25 Feb 2011
Palin to travel to India in bid to polish foreign policy credentials

Sarah Palin will give a speech in India next month in an attempt polish her foreign policy credentials ahead of a possible bid for the 2012 Republican nomination.

» 25 Feb 2011
Boeing wins contract to provide aerial tankers for USAF

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has won a lucrative contract to provide the US with 179 aerial refuelling tankers.

» 24 Feb 2011
Gaza militants fire rockets at Beersheba, Israel

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip has hit a house in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.

» 24 Feb 2011
Brazilian woman finds alligator behind sofa

A woman in Brazil was shocked to find an alligator hiding behind her sofa after heavy rains flooded her house .

» 24 Feb 2011
British tourist injured in elephant rampage

A British tourist was seriously injured and a Swiss woman was killed when two male elephants went on the rampage in Thailand.

» 24 Feb 2011
Libya: Italy fears 300,000 refugees

Italy fears that up to 300,000 Libyans could try to reach Italian soil as a result of the chaos in the North African country.

» 23 Feb 2011
Libya protests: UN Security Council condemns crackdown

The UN Security Council has condemned the Libyan authorities for using force against protesters, calling for those responsible to be held to account.

» 23 Feb 2011
India Godhra train blaze verdict: 31 convicted

A special court in the western Indian state of Gujarat has found 31 people guilty of setting fire to a passenger train in the town of Godhra in 2002.

» 23 Feb 2011
Indian man with 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren

A 66-year-old man in India's remote northeast has 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren, all living under one roof.

» 23 Feb 2011
Hijacked Americans killed by captors off Somalia

Four Americans hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Oman have been killed by their captors, US defence officials say.

» 22 Feb 2011
NZ Quake Kills 65 And Traps Hundreds

A powerful earthquake in the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch has killed at least 65 people, and left about 200 others trapped in damaged buildings.

» 22 Feb 2011
Universities in Texas to allow students to carry guns on campus

Universities in Texas are set to be forced to allow students and academics to carry guns on campus, in a victory for a firearms lobby unbowed after last month’s massacre in Arizona.

» 22 Feb 2011
30 killed in stampede at Mali stadium

A stampede in a Mali stadium at the end of a sermon by a renowned imam killed at least 30 people on Monday night, an official at the interior and civil protection ministry said.

» 22 Feb 2011
Suicide Car Bomber Kills 12 North of Baghdad

A suicide attacker detonated a car bomb Monday at a police station north of Baghdad, killing at least 12 police officers, police and health officials said.

» 21 Feb 2011
Rising food prices nearing danger point: World Bank

World Bank president Robert Zoellick warned leaders of the top global economies Saturday that the world is reaching a danger point where soaring food prices threaten further political instability

» 21 Feb 2011
Gulf spill

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill "devastated" life on and near the seafloor, a marine scientist has said.

» 21 Feb 2011
Plan to bring UK clocks forward

Longer evenings could move a step closer with a government plan to move UK clocks forward an extra hour.

» 21 Feb 2011
SA tweeters prompt pothole action

South Africa is to spend $3m (£1,9m) and create 70,000 jobs to fix potholes after complaints to the president made on social networking sites.

» 18 Feb 2011
Bahrain locked down after 5 protesters killed

Bahrain's leaders banned public gatherings and sent tanks into the streets Thursday

» 18 Feb 2011
Baghdad wants U.S. to pay $1 billion for damage to city

Iraq's capital wants the United States to apologize and pay $1 billion for the damage done to the city not by bombs but by blast walls and Humvees since the U.S...

» 18 Feb 2011
Svalbard seed vault to take Peruvian potato samples

Farmers in Peru are sending 1,500 varieties of potatoes to a "doomsday vault" in the Arctic Circle in order to safeguard the tubers' future.

» 18 Feb 2011
Suspect arrested in shootings outside Mexico City

A suspected cartel member was arrested Thursday in three shootings that killed 20 people on the outskirts of Mexico City..

» 17 Feb 2011
Halong Bay tourists dead as Vietnam boat sinks

At least 11 tourists and a guide have drowned after a tour boat sank in Halong Bay in northeastern Vietnam.

» 17 Feb 2011
Colombia

Colombian Farc rebels have released two hostages they had held for more than two years.

» 17 Feb 2011
Bahrain protests: Police break up Pearl Square crowd

Security forces in Bahrain have dispersed thousands of anti-government protesters in Pearl Square in the centre of capital, Manama.

» 17 Feb 2011
Tanzania explosions: Blasts at Dar es Salaam base

Explosions have rocked Dar es Salaam in Tanzania after an accident at a munitions dump near the airport, officials say.

» 16 Feb 2011
Longest kiss in history: 46-hour Thai smooch

A determined Thai couple locked lips for 46 hours, 24 minutes and nine seconds to celebrate Valentine's Day in this southern beach resort town ..

» 16 Feb 2011
Japan suspends Antarctic whale hunt

Japan has suspended its annual Antarctic whale hunt following protests from a campaign group.

» 16 Feb 2011
South Sudan Jonglei attack by Athor rebels killed 200

Some 200 people were killed in a "massacre" in south Sudan last week, officials say.

» 16 Feb 2011
Japan and India sign trade deal

Japan and India have signed a free-trade agreement that will see tariffs on 94% of goods scrapped within a decade.

» 16 Feb 2011
Woman, 61, Gives Birth to Grandson

A 61-year-old Chicago woman has become the oldest to give birth in the city’s history after serving as a surrogate for her daughter.

» 15 Feb 2011
Sophisticated drug submarine seized in Colombia

The Colombian navy has seized a submarine believed to have been built to smuggle cocaine to Mexico.

» 15 Feb 2011
Iran tries to quell massive protest

TEHRAN — Tens of thousands of demonstrators battled security forces armed with tear gas and batons during a surprisingly large antigovernment protest...

» 15 Feb 2011
UN report says violence against Afghan children growing

A growing number of children are killed and injured in Afghanistan, mostly by the Taliban and other anti-government groups..

» 15 Feb 2011
Mexico drug violence kills 18 in Tamaulipas state

At least 18 people have been killed in a series of gun battles between rival drug gangs in the north-eastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

» 14 Feb 2011
One million demonstrate against Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi Sex scandal

HER face might be masked by sultry shades, but the directness of her message to scandal-hit Silvio Berlusconi couldn’t be clearer..

» 14 Feb 2011
WikiLeaks: Charles Taylor may have $400 million out of reach

Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president, could have as much as $400 million hidden away out of reach of prosecutors ...

» 14 Feb 2011
Malaysian beats tiger away to save wounded husband

A woman in a jungle region of northern Malaysia rescued her husband from a tiger attack ...

» 14 Feb 2011
Islamabad painted red to celebrate Valentine’s Day

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, markets in capital turned red, as shopkeepers have finalised preparations for the huge sale on the Valentine’s Day ..

» 11 Feb 2011
Jose Agostinho Pereira, Serial Daughter Rapist, Beheaded By Fellow Inmates in Prison Riot

Last June, we told you the story of Jose Agostinho Pereira. He's a degenerate from Brazil who began raping his daughter when she was just 16

» 11 Feb 2011
South Sudan: Health care is badly needed

After years of war and underdevelopment, new country will be challenged to improve care.

» 11 Feb 2011
India, Pakistan agree to resume peace talks

India and Pakistan agree to resume formal peace talks for the first time since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

» 11 Feb 2011
Cork plane crash: 12 on board - lives lost and miraculous escapes

Co Antrim businessman Brendan McAleese is the cousin of the Irish President’s husband, Dr Martin McAleese.

» 10 Feb 2011
Nearly killed in oil spill, dolphin now thriving

Five months after the Deepwater Horizon explosion unleashed a torrent of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, a male dolphin washed up on Louisiana's Gulf Coast just barely alive

» 10 Feb 2011
Schoolboy bomber kills 20 at Pakistani army base

A suicide bomber has attacked an army facility in Pakistan's troubled north-west, killing at least 20 soldiers and injuring others, officials say..

» 10 Feb 2011
Ancient teeth raise new questions about the origins of modern man

Teeth found at a site near Rosh Haain in Israel are providing new information about who the earlier occupants of this region were as well as their potential evolutionary relationships with later fossils from this same region ...

» 10 Feb 2011
Girl crawls out of wrecked truck to get help for family

When her mother and brother were trapped after a car accident, a 4-year-old girl walked a quarter of a mile for help...

» 09 Feb 2011
Shark attacks rose in 2010 to highest in decade

Sharks launched 79 unprovoked attacks on humans in 2010, the highest number in a decade, US researchers have found.

» 09 Feb 2011
Egypt protests: US call to Hosni Mubarak

The US has called on the Egyptian government to immediately lift the country's emergency laws, which have been in place for 30 years.

» 09 Feb 2011
Mystery over claims of naked Silvio Berlusconi photographs

Lawyers for Silvio Berlusconi have filed legal actions over investigations that have allegedly found photographs of him naked in the company of young women

» 09 Feb 2011
Zuckerberg gets restraining order over Facebook pest

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has obtained a restraining order against a man who was reportedly attempting to contact him using threatening language.

» 08 Feb 2011
Egypt unrest: New call by protesters to oust Mubarak

Protesters on Cairo's central Tahrir Square have called for a new push to oust Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, two weeks into their campaign.

» 08 Feb 2011
Chechen warlord Doku Umarov claims Moscow airport bomb

One of Russia's most wanted men, Chechen warlord Doku Umarov, has said he ordered the deadly bomb attack last month on a Moscow airport.

» 08 Feb 2011
Experts Voice Fears Over Children Sexting

Child protection experts say unprecedented numbers of teenagers are sharing sexually explicit images with each other and then posting them online.

» 08 Feb 2011
Report: Junk Food Diet Affects Children IQ

A diet of junk food can lower the IQ of toddlers, a new study has suggested.

» 07 Feb 2011
Thai-Cambodia border fighting enters fourth day

The armies of Cambodia and Thailand have exchanged fire across their border for a fourth day.

» 07 Feb 2011
Belgian students removed from Ryanair Spanish flight

Spanish police have removed more than 100 Belgian students from a plane that was due to fly from the Canary Islands to Belgium.

» 07 Feb 2011
Bushfires rage out of control near Perth, Australia

Bushfires raging on the outskirts of Perth in Western Australia have destroyed at least 40 homes and damaged about 20 others.

» 07 Feb 2011
Egypt opposition wary after talks

Egypt's opposition groups say government proposals on how to end the political crisis are not enough.

» 04 Feb 2011
Mubarak

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said he would like to resign immediately but fears the country would descend into chaos if he did so.

» 04 Feb 2011
AG orders Brooklyn businesses that bilked Haitian immigrants shut down

Two Brooklyn businesses that bilked dozens of Haitian immigrants out of thousands of dollars by providing fake legal services have been ordered to shut down..

» 04 Feb 2011
Egypt chaos: Dozens of reporters beaten, arrested

CAIRO – Menacing gangs backing President Hosni Mubarak attacked journalists and human rights activists Thursday in an ugly turn in Egypt's crisis...

» 04 Feb 2011
Police say Bellagio bandit returned after heist

LAS VEGAS – The man accused of holding up a posh Las Vegas Strip casino was living large after the heist, gambling away hundreds of thousands of dollars...

» 02 Feb 2011
NHS hospitals overspending by £500m on basic supplies

NHS hospitals in England could save around £500m a year if they improve the way they buy everyday supplies, a report says.

» 02 Feb 2011
Egypt unrest: Barack Obama urges power transition now

US President Barack Obama has said an orderly political transition "must begin now" in Egypt and lead to free and fair elections.

» 02 Feb 2011
Nine killed in Peshawar explosion

At least nine people have been killed in a bomb attack near a police station in north-western Pakistan, police said.

» 02 Feb 2011
Queensland evacuations urged ahead of Cyclone Yasi

Australian officals are urging residents in parts of Queensland to flee ahead of the most dangerous storm ever predicted to hit the state.

» 31 Jan 2011
Egypt standoff continues as protesters defy curfew

Police have been ordered back on to the streets of Cairo and the curfew has been extended, as Egypt's president tries to re-assert control.

» 31 Jan 2011
Kabul Finest supermarket hit by deadly bomb attack

At least eight people have been killed in a suicide attack at a supermarket popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital Kabul, officials say.

» 31 Jan 2011
Policeman dies in Pakistan attack

Police in north-western Pakistan say a senior police official has been killed in a suicide bomb attack.

» 31 Jan 2011
Hillary Clinton: Haiti aid will not be suspended

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told reporters the US would not be suspending aid to Haiti.

» 28 Jan 2011
Indonesia: Deadly fire on crowded ferry off Java

A fire on a ferry in Indonesia has killed at least 11 people, with scores more injured, some critically, officials say.

» 28 Jan 2011
Brazil floods: 8,000 free homes for victims

Brazil says it is going to build 8,000 houses to give free to poor people made homeless by floods and landslides in Rio de Janeiro state this month.

» 28 Jan 2011
Bomb at Baghdad funeral in Shia Muslim area kills 48

A car bomb has ripped through a funeral tent in a mainly Shia Muslim area of Baghdad, killing 48 people.

» 28 Jan 2011
Spanish call to probe Franco-era baby thefts

More than 260 alleged victims of a baby-trafficking network in Spain begun under the dictator General Francisco Franco have started legal action demanding an investigation.

» 27 Jan 2011
Cholera alert reaches Venezuela via Dominican Republic

More than 20 Venezuelans have contracted cholera after visiting the Dominican Republic, the Venezuelan health ministry has said.

» 27 Jan 2011
Pakistan floods crisis is far from over, says Oxfam

The men who stoned a couple to death in north Afghanistan will be brought to justice, say officials, after footage of the killings came to light.

» 27 Jan 2011
Australia floods: PM Julia Gillard unveils new tax

Australia floods: PM Julia Gillard unveils new tax

» 27 Jan 2011
North-eastern US and Canada hit by snow storm

The north-eastern US is being hit by a severe storm, with up to 12in (30.5cm) of snow expected in New York.

» 26 Jan 2011
Egypt protests: Three killed in day of revolt

At least three people are reported to have been killed during a day of rare anti-government protests in Egypt.

» 26 Jan 2011
Lahore and Karachi suicide blasts: Shias targeted

At least nine people taking part in a Shia Muslim procession in the Pakistani city of Lahore have been killed by a suicide bomb, police say.

» 26 Jan 2011
Arizona busts Mexico gun-running network

The authorities in US state of Arizona say they have broken up a gun-running network that was smuggling weapons to Mexican drugs gangs.

» 26 Jan 2011
Three charged over Christmas Island shipwreck

Australia has charged three Indonesian men with people-smuggling offences, following the death of nearly 50 people in a shipwreck off Christmas Island.

» 25 Jan 2011
Moscow bombing: Medvedev in Domodedovo airport pledge

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has vowed to track down and punish those behind an apparent suicide bomb attack at Moscow's Domodedovo airport killed 35 people and injured more than 100.

» 25 Jan 2011
Protests as Hezbollah poised to form Lebanon government

Supporters of Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri have taken to the streets in protest at efforts by Hezbollah to form the next government.

» 25 Jan 2011
Hillary Clinton backs Mexico drug war

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a visit to Mexico, has reiterated her support for President Felipe Calderon's fight against drugs gangs.

» 25 Jan 2011
Two-clawed and parrot-sized: new T.rex cousin unveiled

A tiny distant cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex has been discovered in China with only a single claw on each upper limb.

» 24 Jan 2011
Palestinians question offers leaked by al-Jazeera

Top Palestinian officials have questioned the veracity of leaked documents purporting to show offers of major concessions to Israel.

» 24 Jan 2011
Brazil flood deaths top 800 with 400 still missing

Officials in Brazil say more than 800 people are now known to have died in floods and landslides in the south-east of the country this month.

» 24 Jan 2011
Australia floods: Inland sea moves across Victoria

Parts of the south-eastern Australian state of Victoria are braced for the approach of a giant lake of floodwater 55 miles (90km) long, as Australia's severe flooding problems continue.

» 24 Jan 2011
Recovery unevenly spread in UK, says Centre for Cities

Parts of the south-eastern Australian state of Victoria are braced for the approach of a giant lake of floodwater 55 miles (90km) long, as Australia's severe flooding problems continue.

» 21 Jan 2011
FBI charges 127 alleged mobsters in north-east US

FBI charges 127 alleged mobsters in north-east US

» 21 Jan 2011
Daniel Pearl

The four men convicted of murdering US journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan nine years ago did not carry out the beheading, an investigation has found.

» 21 Jan 2011
Al-Qaeda fighter Bekkay Harrach killed in Afghanistan

A German al-Qaeda militant who once threatened to attack the country has been killed in Afghanistan, fellow militants say.

» 21 Jan 2011
Australians sue Delhi over unpaid Games bills

An Australian firm has threatened to sue the Delhi Commonwealth Games organising committee for non-payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

» 19 Jan 2011
DR Congo army commander led mass rape in Fizi

An army commander in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been accused of leading the recent mass rape of at least 50 women.

» 19 Jan 2011
Taiwan in live-fire missile tests

Taiwan has held live-fire missile tests, as Chinese President Hu Jintao travels to the US for a state visit.

» 19 Jan 2011
Pakistan: Strong earthquake hits south-west

A strong earthquake measuring 7.2 has hit south-western Pakistan, in a desert area bordering Iran and Afghanistan, the US Geological Survey says.

» 19 Jan 2011
Suicide bomb kills 50 at Iraqi police centre in Tikrit

A suicide bomber has killed at least 50 people outside a police recruitment centre in the Iraqi town of Tikrit, officials say.

» 18 Jan 2011
14 lions killed at zoo over infection fears

Authorities put down 14 lions at the Tehran zoo that had been diagnosed with an infectious bacterial disease that could affect visitors, a local newspaper reported on Monday.

» 18 Jan 2011
Australia floods: Horsham split in two as waters rising

The southern Australian town of Horsham has been split in two by water and at least one young boy is feared drowned.

» 18 Jan 2011
Italy PM Silvio Berlusconi prostitute allegations widen

Italian prosecutors have alleged that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had sex with a "significant number" of young prostitutes.

» 18 Jan 2011
India Malegaon bombing accused seek bail

Lawyers in India representing nine Muslim men accused of a bombing have applied for bail following the reported confession of a Hindu holy man to the crime.

» 17 Jan 2011
India to tear down flats at centre of graft scandal

India's environment ministry has ordered the demolition of a block of flats in Mumbai that has been at the centre of a corruption scandal.

» 17 Jan 2011
Tunis gun battles erupt after Ben Ali aide arrested

Tunisian forces are exchanging fire near the presidential palace with members of deposed President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's guard, reports say.

» 17 Jan 2011
Afghanistan: Bomb kills nine wedding guests in Baghlan

At least nine Afghans have been killed by a roadside bomb in the northern province of Baghlan, officials say.

» 17 Jan 2011
Australia: Thousands leave homes as floods hit Victoria

Thousands of people have fled their homes in Victoria as major flooding hits the southern Australian state.

» 14 Jan 2011
Michaela

The body of murdered honeymooner Michaela McAreavey arrives in Ireland today to begin the final leg of her journey home.

» 14 Jan 2011
Brazil floods: Rescuers hunt for survivors

Rescuers are trying to find survivors in cut-off areas of south-eastern Brazil hit by deadly floods that have left more than 500 people dead.

» 14 Jan 2011
Argentine president Fernandez

Robbers in Argentina have stolen $90,000 (£57,000) worth of cash meant for use by President Cristina Fernandez on an official Middle East trip.

» 14 Jan 2011
Battle to reach thousands of Sri Lanka flood victims

More than 30,000 army, navy, police and air force personnel are battling to provide urgent aid to people hit by heavy flooding in Sri Lanka.

» 14 Jan 2011
Dawn runner casts light on birth of the dinosaurs

Scientists have unveiled one of the earliest dinosaurs yet found, an agile meat-eater from the late Triassic period, some 230 million years ago.

» 13 Jan 2011
Mauritius honeymoon murder: Michaela McAreavey

Michaela McAreavey, the daughter of one of Ireland's best-known sporting figures killed on her honeymoon in Mauritius, was found dead in a bath with the water still running, police said.

» 13 Jan 2011
Death toll mounts from flooding in Rio de Janeiro state

More than 250 people have died in towns near Rio de Janeiro as heavy rains continue to cause flooding and mudslides in south-eastern Brazil.

» 13 Jan 2011
Italy smashes Afghan people-smuggling ring

A gang which smuggled mainly Afghan migrants into Europe has been broken, European police force Europol has said.

» 13 Jan 2011
Pakistani bomber kills 17 in attack on police

At least 17 people have been killed as a suicide car bomber rammed a heavily fortified police station in north-west Pakistan, officials have said.

» 12 Jan 2011
Australia floods: Fears worsen for Brisbane

Up to 20,000 homes are now at risk in Brisbane, the Queensland state premier has said, as deadly floodwaters surge towards Australia's third-largest city.

» 12 Jan 2011
Philippine floods kill 40 and affect one million people

Seven more deaths in heavy flooding in the Philippines have brought the toll from a fortnight of heavy rains to 40.

» 12 Jan 2011
Suicide blast in Afghan capital kills two

At least two people were killed when a suicide attacker rammed his motorcycle into a bus in the Afghan capital, Kabul, police told the BBC.

» 12 Jan 2011
Italian man shot in head sneezes out bullet and lives

An Italian man has astonished doctors by sneezing a bullet out through his nose after being shot in the head.

» 11 Jan 2011
Australia floods: Parts of Brisbane evacuated by police

Police have urged the evacuation of parts of Australia's third largest city - Brisbane - as the biggest floods in years approach the Queensland state capital.

» 11 Jan 2011
Tunisia closes schools and universities following riots

The Tunisian government has ordered all schools and universities to be indefinitely closed following continuing violent protests.

» 11 Jan 2011
Thousands displaced by Sri Lanka floods to get UN help

The World Food Programme (WFP) says it will provide emergency food assistance to flood affected people in Sri Lanka.

» 11 Jan 2011
Almost 14,500 police jobs will be lost, Ed Balls says

Almost 14,500 police jobs in England and Wales will be lost as a result of spending cuts, shadow home secretary Ed Balls is expected to tell MPs later.

» 10 Jan 2011
Scores killed in IranAir passenger plane crash

An Iranian passenger plane with more than 100 people on board has crashed in north-western Iran, killing at least 72, officials say.

» 10 Jan 2011
Giffords shooting: Suspect Jared Loughner charged

US authorities have charged a 22-year-old man over Saturday's Arizona shooting in which a congresswoman was seriously wounded and six people died.

» 10 Jan 2011
Fourteen killed in Tunisia unemployment protests

The number of people killed in unrest over unemployment in Tunisia over the past 24 hours has risen to 14, officials say.

» 10 Jan 2011
Afghan suicide bomber kills 17 in bath house

At least 17 people have been killed in a suicide attack in a crowded public bath house in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, officials say.

» 07 Jan 2011
Gates cutting Pentagon budget by $78bn over five years

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has announced a $78bn (£50.3bn) military budget cut, to be achieved in part by scrapping a $14bn amphibious vehicle.

» 29 Dec 2010
Colombia drug lord Pedro Guerrero may be dead

Colombian police say they may have killed one of the country's top drugs traffickers, Pedro Guerrero Castillo.

» 29 Dec 2010
Flood chaos forces mass evacuations in Australia

North-eastern Australia's worst flooding in decades is continuing to cause chaos across the region.

» 29 Dec 2010
UN suspends food aid after Pakistan suicide bombing

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended food distribution in a tribal district in Pakistan where 45 people died in a suicide attack on Saturday.

» 29 Dec 2010
Jos bombing: Politicians fuel Nigeria unrest

Nigerian faith leaders have accused politicians of fuelling a recent upsurge in sectarian violence in which 80 people have died.

» 28 Dec 2010
Australians flee flood-hit Queensland

Flooding in north-eastern Australia has forced residents to flee many towns and closed down more than 300 roads.

» 28 Dec 2010
Uganda yellow fever outbreak kills more than 40

Yellow fever vaccines are being imported for the north of Uganda to inoculate people against the disease which has killed about 45 people.

» 28 Dec 2010
Two suicide bombers kill 14 in Iraqi town of Ramadi

Two suicide bombers have killed at least 14 people in the Iraqi town of Ramadi, say officials and police.

» 28 Dec 2010
Airports reopen after monster blizzard in north-east US

Airports have reopened in the north-eastern US after blizzards caused some 7,000 flights to be cancelled over the busy post-Christmas travel period.

» 27 Dec 2010
Travel chaos as blizzards hit eastern United States

Blizzards have swept north along the eastern coast of the US, forcing the cancellation of more than 1,400 flights and disrupting rail and road traffic.

» 27 Dec 2010
Nine charged with terror offences after dawn arrests

Nine men have been charged with conspiracy to cause explosions in the UK and with terrorism offences, West Midlands Police have said.

» 27 Dec 2010
UN condemns deplorable Nigeria violence

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the "deplorable acts of violence" that left 38 people dead in Nigeria over Christmas.

» 27 Dec 2010
New Zealand releases UFO government files

New Zealand's military has released hundreds of documents detailing claims of sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

» 26 Dec 2010
Pope urges end to conflicts in Christmas message

Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his hope for an end to conflicts around the world, in his traditional Christmas Day message from the Vatican.

» 26 Dec 2010
Thousands flee Ivory Coast for Liberia amid poll crisis

About 14,000 people have fled Ivory Coast to neighbouring Liberia following last month's disputed Ivorian presidential election, the UN says.

» 26 Dec 2010
Many killed in Ecuador bus plunge

At least 35 travellers have been killed in Ecuador when their bus tumbled off the road and fell down a 150m (500ft) ravine, officials say.

» 25 Dec 2010
Pakistan suicide bombing kills dozens

A female suicide bomber has killed at least 43 people in an attack on a large crowd receiving aid in north-west Pakistan, officials say.

» 22 Dec 2010
Europe weather: EU brands snow-hit airports weak link

The EU has heavily criticised European airports for failing to deal with recent freezing weather, which has left thousands of travellers stranded.

» 22 Dec 2010
Toyota agrees record $32.4m US fine over recalls

Toyota has agreed to pay a record fine in the US of $32.4m (£20.8m) over its handling of millions of car recalls.

» 22 Dec 2010
Earthquake shakes buildings in Cumbria

A small earthquake has hit Cumbria, causing alarm but no serious damage.

» 22 Dec 2010
UN chief warns of real risk of Ivory Coast civil war

The UN's secretary-general has warned there is a "real risk" of a return to civil war in Ivory Coast after the disputed presidential election.

» 21 Dec 2010
Bomb blast at Nairobi bus station kills one

At least one person has been killed and 26 people have been hurt by a bomb explosion at a bus station in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, police have said.

» 21 Dec 2010
Afghanistan attacks target army bases, killing 13

Suicide attackers have targeted Afghan military bases in two cities, leaving 13 members of the security forces dead, along with at least five assailants.

» 21 Dec 2010
Nato convoy ambushed in Khyber, Pakistan

Suicide attackers have targeted Afghan military bases in two cities, leaving 13 members of the security forces dead, along with at least five assailants.

» 21 Dec 2010
Bangladesh boat accident leaves dozens dead

At least 37 people have died after a boat capsized in north-eastern Bangladesh, rescue officials say.

» 20 Dec 2010
Men arrested in anti-terror raids

Twelve men have been arrested during a major anti-terrorist operation, West Midlands Police said.

» 20 Dec 2010
Tourists killed in Malaysia crash

At least 26 people were killed when a bus carrying a group of tourists from Thailand overturned in Malaysia, officials say.

» 20 Dec 2010
Korea crisis: Yeonpyeong war games increase tension

The South Korean military has held live-firing exercises on Yeonpyeong island - the scene of a deadly attack by the North last month.

» 20 Dec 2010
Snow at Heathrow and Gatwick ruins plans of thousands

The Christmas travel plans of thousands of Britons are in disarray after snow left Heathrow Airport all but shut.

» 17 Dec 2010
Ivory Coast: Ouattara supporters plan to march again

Supporters of one of the two rival presidents in Ivory Coast say they intend to take to the streets again, a day after gun battles in the main city of Abidjan left at least 20 dead.

» 17 Dec 2010
Japan defence review warns of China

Japan has unveiled sweeping changes to its national defence polices, boosting its southern forces in response to neighbouring China's military rise.

» 17 Dec 2010
London Assembly warns of crisis over timber flats

A London Assembly report has urged the government to tighten regulations on timber-framed buildings after several major fires in the city.

» 17 Dec 2010
Israeli spying devices found in Lebanon

The Lebanese army has said it has dismantled two Israeli spy systems planted in the mountains above Beirut.

» 17 Dec 2010
US drone attack kills five militants in Pakistan

Five suspected militants have died in a US drone strike in north-western Pakistan, Pakistani officials say.

» 16 Dec 2010
Gulf of Mexico oil leak: US sues BP over oil disaster

The US is suing BP and eight other firms for allegedly violating federal safety regulations in connection with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

» 16 Dec 2010
Nepal crashed Tara Air plane wreckage found

The wreckage of a passenger plane carrying 22 people that crashed in Nepal has been found, officials say.

» 16 Dec 2010
Iran suicide bombing: Chabahar mosque hit by attack

A bomb explosion in the south-eastern Iranian city of Chabahar has killed at least 39 people, the official Iranian news agency says.

» 16 Dec 2010
India, China sign $16bn business deals during Wen visit

Indian and Chinese companies have signed business deals worth $16bn (£10.2bn) on the opening day of Chinese PM Wen Jiabao's three-day official visit to India.

» 15 Dec 2010
Many feared dead in suspected Australia asylum shipwreck

Many people are feared to have drowned after a boat carrying suspected asylum seekers crashed into rocks on Australia's Christmas Island.

» 15 Dec 2010
Bangladesh clothes workers die in factory fire

At least 25 people have been killed by a fire that swept through a clothes factory near the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, officials say.

» 15 Dec 2010
Peshawar bomb kills teenage boy and bus driver

A bomb blast has hit a school bus in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing the driver and a 13-year-old boy.

» 15 Dec 2010
Italy: Silvio Berlusconi vote win sparks Rome clashes

Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has narrowly won a vote of confidence in the lower house of parliament by 314 to 311, prompting street protests.

» 15 Dec 2010
WikiLeaks cables: UKs anti-drugs fight in Ghana beset by corruption

A British operation to stem the flow of cocaine through Ghana has been beset by corruption....

» 14 Dec 2010
Search ends for missing fishing crew in Antarctic

Search crews from New Zealand have called off the hunt for 17 missing fishermen from a South Korean trawler that sank in the Southern Ocean.

» 14 Dec 2010
WikiLeaks cables: Drive to tackle Islamists made little progress

Britain made "little progress" in reaching out to Muslim communities despite investing "considerable time and resources" after the 7/7 London bombings in 2005,

» 14 Dec 2010
Stormy weather in Egypt kills at least 18

At least 18 people have died in accidents caused by storms in Egypt, the country's state media reported.

» 14 Dec 2010
Ivory Coast: Alassane Ouattara

Ivory Coast troops have surrounded a hotel in the main city Abidjan housing Alassane Ouattara, the UN-backed winner of disputed presidential elections.

» 14 Dec 2010
Voyager near Solar System

Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, has reached a new milestone in its quest to leave the Solar System.

» 13 Dec 2010
Live explosive found under car in Dublin

A live explosive has been discovered under a car at a shopping centre in Dublin.

» 13 Dec 2010
Three killed, dozens hurt in Bangladesh clashes

At least three people were killed and dozens more injured when police in Bangladesh clashed with garment factory workers demanding better pay, police have said.

» 13 Dec 2010
Afghanistan roadside bomb kills 15 civilians

At least 15 people have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, provincial officials say.

» 13 Dec 2010
Suicide car bomber rams hospital in Hangu, Pakistan

A suicide bomber has rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a hospital, killing 11 people in north-west Pakistan, say police.

» 10 Dec 2010
Pro-Wikileaks activists abandon Amazon cyber attack

Pro-Wikileak activists have abandoned plans to bring down the website of online retailer Amazon, and switched back to targeting PayPal.

» 10 Dec 2010
Royal car attacked in protest after MPs fee vote

Targeted fuel deliveries are taking place and more schools are reopening as efforts continue to get life back to normal across frozen Scotland.

» 10 Dec 2010
Wikileaks: US aware of Kenya-Southern Sudan arms deal

The US government has been aware of Kenyan arms shipments to Southern Sudan for years, the latest diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks reveal.

» 10 Dec 2010
Facebook founder Zuckerberg to give away most of wealth

He is one of 17 new people to support a group, founded by Bill Gates and his wife along with Warren Buffett, which encourages America's wealthiest to publicly promise to donate to charity.

» 09 Dec 2010
Suicide bomb kills 16 at market in north-west Pakistan

A bomb has gone off in a market in north-western Pakistan, killing at least 16 people, police say.

» 09 Dec 2010
Panama Canal shut by heavy rains

Traffic through the Panama Canal - which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans - has been temporarily suspended because of heavy rain.

» 09 Dec 2010
UNHCR fear for Eritrea migrantsheld hostage in Egypt

The UN refugee agency has expressed concern over 250 African migrants, said to be held hostage by people-smugglers in Egypt.

» 09 Dec 2010
Diamond exoplanet idea boosted by telescope find

A US-British team of astronomers has discovered the first planet with ultra-high concentrations of carbon.

» 08 Dec 2010
Drill explosions in N Korea as US envoy visits South

Explosions have been heard in North Korea, which appear to be part of a live-fire drill, South Korea says.

» 08 Dec 2010
Colombia President Santos evacuates landslide area

Colombian Juan Manuel Santos has urged the evacuation of a hillside neighbourhood near Medellin, after a landslide buried around 50 houses.

» 08 Dec 2010
Varanasi bombing: Child dies in Indian holy city attack

A one-year-old girl has been killed and at least 34 people have been injured by a bomb explosion in the northern Indian holy city of Varanasi, officials say.

» 08 Dec 2010
Russia blocking UN Ivory Coast statement

UN diplomats say Russia is blocking a Security Council statement endorsing Ivory Coast opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara as president.

» 07 Dec 2010
Coventry fatal crash pilots

Two pilots in a mid-air collision which killed five people did not see each other or had no time to take avoiding action, a report has found.

» 07 Dec 2010
Pakistan suicide bomb attack kills dozens

A suicide bomb attack in north-west Pakistan has left at least 40 people dead, local officials have said.

» 07 Dec 2010
David Cameron hints at Afghanistan troop withdrawal

David Cameron has said British troops could start coming home from Afghanistan as early as next year.

» 07 Dec 2010
Wikileaks: US-Nato plan to defend Baltics from Russia

The US and Nato have drawn up plans to defend the Baltic nations against Russia, latest US diplomatic cables disclosed by Wikileaks show.

» 06 Dec 2010
Dozens feared buried in Colombia landslide

At least 50 people are feared to have been buried by a landslide in the Colombian city of Medellin.

» 06 Dec 2010
Albania hit by worst floods in living memory

More than 12,000 people have now been moved from their homes in north-western Albania following days of heavy rain.

» 06 Dec 2010
List of facilities vital to US security leaked

A long list of key facilities around the world that the US describes as vital to its national security has been released by Wikileaks.

» 06 Dec 2010
Man indicted over bomb factory in California home

Federal prosecutors in California have filed an eight-count indictment against a man accused of operating a bomb factory out of his home.

» 03 Dec 2010
Wipro Azim Premji makes $2bn Indian charity gift

Indian software tycoon Azim Premji has announced he will donate nearly $2bn (£1.3bn) to fund rural education and development programmes.

» 03 Dec 2010
Israel fire near Haifa kills dozens of prison guards

About 40 people have died in what is thought to be Israel's largest ever forest fire, police have said.

» 03 Dec 2010
Falklands oil found by Desire Petroleum

A British exploration company says it has discovered oil off the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic - the second such find this year.

» 03 Dec 2010
European countries battle weather chaos

People across northern Europe are still facing heavy snow and freezing temperatures, with more cold weather forecast for the weekend.

» 02 Dec 2010
Snow and ice causes disruption as cold spell continues

Temperatures are set to plunge again overnight after one of the coldest starts to December in more than 20 years has caused chaos across the UK.

» 02 Dec 2010
Shark attacks three tourists in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

Three tourists have been injured by a shark in three separate attacks at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

» 02 Dec 2010
Wikileaks: UK allowed US to use cluster bomb loophole

The UK kept quiet about a loophole allowing the US to continue storing cluster bombs on its territory despite an international ban on the weapons, a leaked US diplomatic cable suggests.

» 02 Dec 2010
Botswana mulls legalising prostitution to fight HIV

Some politicians have called for Botswana to consider legalising prostitution to fight against HIV.

» 01 Dec 2010
Leaks expose US and UK fears over Pakistan nuclear arms

US and UK diplomats feared Pakistan's nuclear material could fall into the hands of terrorists, the latest leaked classified US diplomatic cables reveal.

» 01 Dec 2010
Mass grave with 18 bodies uncovered in northern Mexico

Mexican soldiers have uncovered 18 bodies buried on a ranch near the US border.

» 01 Dec 2010
Princess Anne on four-day visit to Mauritius

The Royal Princess Anne is arriving in Mauritius tonight for a four-day official visit.

» 01 Dec 2010
Toyota to repair Prius coolant pump fault

Toyota has said it will repair 650,000 Prius models worldwide because of a fault with the coolant pump.

» 01 Dec 2010
Devastating floods kill at least 21 in Venezuela

Days of torrential rain have brought widespread flooding to Venezuela, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 21 people.

» 30 Nov 2010
Panorama: Three Fifa World Cup officials took bribes

Three senior Fifa officials who will vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids took bribes in the 1990s, according to the BBC's Panorama.

» 30 Nov 2010
Twelve arrested over deadly Baghdad church siege

Twelve suspected militants have been arrested in connection with a deadly church siege in Baghdad last month, Iraq's interior minister says.

» 30 Nov 2010
Hundreds of Scottish schools remain closed due to snow

Severe winter weather is set to cause further disruption across the country with schools closed and problems on the roads.

» 29 Nov 2010
Cargo plane crashes in Karachi killing at least 11

A cargo plane carrying eight people has crashed shortly after taking off from Karachi airport in Pakistan, killing all those on board.

» 29 Nov 2010
Afghanistan: Suicide bombs target police in Paktika

Two suicide bombers have attacked a police HQ in Afghanistan's south-eastern Paktika province, officials say, killing at least 12 officers.

» 29 Nov 2010
Irish Republic 85bn euro bail-out agreed

European ministers have reached an agreement over a bail-out for the Irish Republic worth about 85bn euros ($113bn; £72bn).

» 29 Nov 2010
Central African Republic rebels seize Birao town

Rebels in the Central African Republic have taken over the town of Birao after heavy fighting with the army, a UN official has told the BBC.

» 26 Nov 2010
Passive smoking kills 600,000 worldwide

The first global study into the effects of passive smoking has found it causes 600,000 deaths every year.

» 26 Nov 2010
Air France to resume Atlantic flight recorder search

The French government has said it will resume the search for an Air France jet that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, killing 228 people.

» 26 Nov 2010
Pakistani interior minister denies flood aid corruption

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has defended the way his country is distributing millions of dollars of flood relief.

» 26 Nov 2010
N Korea warns war games take region to brink of war

North Korea has warned that the impending joint military exercises by the South and the US are pushing the region to "the brink of war".

» 25 Nov 2010
Haiti

Haiti needs at least 1,000 more nurses and 100 doctors to stem deaths from its cholera epidemic, the UN's top humanitarian official has said.

» 25 Nov 2010
Agencies missed chances to help Derby sex gang girls

Agencies "missed opportunities" to help girls caught up in a sexual exploitation ring, an independent inquiry has found.

» 25 Nov 2010
Top Balochistan minister alleges extrajudicial killings

Pakistan's security agencies are involved in extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, the province's chief minister says.

» 25 Nov 2010
SKorea boost security after NKorea attack

INCHEON, South Korea – South Korea's president vowed Thursday to boost security around islands near the site of a North Korean artillery attack while the North warned of more retaliation if the South carries out any "reckless military provocations.

» 24 Nov 2010
President Barack Obama: North Korea a serious threat

US President Barack Obama has strongly condemned North Korea's shelling of Yeonpyeong island in South Korea and said the US would defend South Korea.

» 24 Nov 2010
Brazil police battle Rio de Janeiro gang violence

Police in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro have launched a major operation to try to stop a wave of violence by criminal gangs.

» 24 Nov 2010
Fourteen women die in Pakistan sewage tank collapse

At least 14 women died in north-western Pakistan when a porch above a sewage tank collapsed during a funeral, police say.

» 24 Nov 2010
Chile bus crash kills at least 19

At least 19 people have been killed in Chile after a bus and a lorry collided and crashed off the road.

» 23 Nov 2010
Hundreds killed in Cambodian festival stampede

At least 345 people have been killed in a stampede during festival celebrations in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen has said.

» 23 Nov 2010
German Nazi suspect Samuel Kunz dies ahead of trial

A Nazi suspect indicted on charges of involvement in the murders of 430,000 Jews at Belzec death camp has died in Germany aged 89.

» 23 Nov 2010
Irish PM Brian Cowen to call new year election

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen has said he will call a general election in the new year following a day of political turmoil over an EU-led bail-out of the country's ailing economy.

» 23 Nov 2010
NZ mine explosion: Hopes for missing men fading

Hopes are dwindling for 29 men who remain missing four days after a mine explosion in New Zealand, police say.

» 23 Nov 2010
Indonesia sex tape star goes on trial

One of Indonesia's top celebrities has gone on trial for his alleged role in sex videos which appeared on the internet.

» 22 Nov 2010
NZ mine explosion: PM hopeful trapped miners are alive

There is "every chance" the 29 men missing since Friday's coal mine explosion in New Zealand are still alive, says Prime Minister John Key.

» 22 Nov 2010
North Korea nuclear plant confirms US suspicions

The US has said a report that North Korea has built a new nuclear facility is further evidence of Pyongyang's "belligerent behaviour".

» 22 Nov 2010
Fishing for bodies on China Yellow River

On the banks of the Yellow River, Wei Xinpeng draws on a cigarette as he casts his eye over the murky waters.

» 22 Nov 2010
Thailand police find 2,000 foetuses in temple

Thai police say they have found the remains of more than 2,000 foetuses, thought to be from illegal abortions, hidden at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok.

» 19 Nov 2010
Haiti cholera clashes reach capital Port-au-Prince

Protests linked to the outbreak of cholera in Haiti have spread to parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

» 19 Nov 2010
Cumbria floods resulted in £276m bill

Damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure caused by the Cumbrian floods in 2009 resulted in a £276m bill, it has emerged on the first anniversary of the disaster.

» 19 Nov 2010
India lost $462bn in illegal capital flows, says report

India has lost more than $460bn since Independence because of companies and the rich illegally funnelling their wealth overseas, a new report says.

» 19 Nov 2010
Mass break-out at Congolese jail

Nearly 200 prisoners in the Democratic Republic of Congo have escaped from a jail in the remote north-west of the country.

» 18 Nov 2010
Nigerian military rescue 19 hostages in Niger Delta

Nigerian troops have rescued 19 hostages kidnapped by militants in the Niger Delta this month, officials say.

» 18 Nov 2010
Brazilian police crack international drug network

Police in Brazil say they have arrested 22 people as part of an 18-month effort to break an international drug syndicate.

» 18 Nov 2010
Hong Kong diagnoses first bird flu case in seven years

A woman in Hong Kong is seriously ill in hospital with bird flu - the first human case of the disease to be diagnosed in the territory since 2003.

» 18 Nov 2010
Air India plane crash: Sleepy pilot blamed

A dozing pilot was to blame for a plane crash in May in southern India which killed 158 people, an official investigation has reportedly found.

» 17 Nov 2010
Haiti cholera reaches Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has detected its first case of cholera, following the outbreak of the disease in neighbouring Haiti last month.

» 17 Nov 2010
Delhi collapse rescue bid continues through the night

Police in the Indian capital Delhi are continuing their search for survivors of Tuesday's building collapse which so far has killed at least 66 people.

» 17 Nov 2010
Royal wedding: Prince William and Kate congratulated

Prince William and girlfriend Kate Middleton have been sent congratulations from around the world after announcing their engagement.

» 17 Nov 2010
Homes burnt in southern Egypt Muslim-Christian violence

At least 10 houses have been burnt down in a confrontation between Christians and Muslims in southern Egypt.

» 16 Nov 2010
Delhi multi-storey building collapse leaves dozens dead

At least 60 people have been killed by the collapse of a multi-storey building in a busy Delhi neighbourhood.

» 16 Nov 2010
China police chief calls for Shanghai fire inquiry

China's police chief has called for a thorough inquiry into the cause of a fire in a Shanghai high-rise building that killed at least 49 people.

» 16 Nov 2010
Haiti cholera protests target UN

There have been violent protests in Haiti against UN peacekeepers, amid a continuing cholera epidemic that has killed more than 900 people.

» 16 Nov 2010
Malaria vaccine: Inside look at first human trial

The first clinical trial for a vaccine against the most widespread strain of malaria, Plasmodium vivax, is now under way at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research (WRAIR), near Washington DC.

» 15 Nov 2010
Israel to allow in 8,000 Falash Mura from Ethiopia

Israel's cabinet has approved a scheme to allow into the country nearly 8,000 Ethiopians of Jewish descent.

» 15 Nov 2010
Pakistani Christian woman appeals over death sentence

Relatives of a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for insulting the Prophet Muhammad say they will appeal against her conviction.

» 15 Nov 2010
Mexico hotel blast kills Canadian tourists, hotel staff

At least five Canadian tourists and two hotel staff have been killed in an explosion at a luxury hotel on Mexico's Caribbean coast, officials say.

» 15 Nov 2010
German zoo fire kills 26 animals

German police say a fire at a zoo in the western city of Karlsruhe has killed 26 animals.

» 12 Nov 2010
Karachi CID building hit by bomb and gun attack

An attack on anti-terrorist police headquarters in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, has left 20 dead and at least 100 injured.

» 12 Nov 2010
Four arrests after horrific massacre at Russian farm

Police in the south Russian region of Krasnodar have arrested four men for the murder of a wealthy farmer and 11 other people at his village home.

» 12 Nov 2010
Ten die in fire at South Korea nursing home

A blaze has swept through a nursing home for the elderly in South Korea, killing 10 people and injuring 17 others, officials say.

» 12 Nov 2010
Central Africa to immunise millions over polio outbreak

Aid agencies are planning to immunise three million people in central Africa after a polio outbreak, which has killed more than 100 people.

» 11 Nov 2010
Al Qaeda planning Mumbai-style attacks in Europe, US: CNN

Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) Al Qaeda is still planning Mumbai-style attacks in Europe, with the United States also possibly being targeted, CNN reported citing counter-terrorism officials in Europe and the United States.

» 11 Nov 2010
Cholera death toll in Haiti passes 600

The death toll from cholera across Haiti has risen to 644, as aid workers fight to contain the spread of the disease in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

» 11 Nov 2010
Christian areas targeted in deadly Baghdad attacks

A series of bomb and mortar attacks targeting Christian areas has killed at least five people in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

» 11 Nov 2010
Sri Lanka pornographers outed in police crackdown

The faces of dozens of people accused of appearing in pornographic films, in violation of anti-obscenity laws, have been published by Sri Lankan media.

» 10 Nov 2010
Five charged over £500,000 Portstewart drugs find

Three men and two women have been charged with money laundering and drugs offences .

» 10 Nov 2010
Brazil prison riot leaves at least 18 dead

A prison riot in northern Brazil has left at least 18 inmates dead after fighting broke out between rival gangs.

» 10 Nov 2010
Obama raps Israeli plans for 1,300 Jewish settler homes

US President Barack Obama has criticised Israeli plans to build some 1,300 settler homes in East Jerusalem.

» 10 Nov 2010
Gulf oil spill: President panel says firms complacent

Three major companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill lacked a safety culture and made serious mistakes ahead of the catastrophe

» 09 Nov 2010
Thousands flee Burma border clash, as votes are counted

Thousands have fled across the Burmese border to escape clashes between troops and ethnic Karen rebels, a day after the first election in 20 years.

» 09 Nov 2010
At least 19 people dead in militant attacks in NE India

At least 19 people have been killed in attacks by separatist rebels on markets and a bus in India's north-eastern state of Assam.

» 09 Nov 2010
Deadly clashes as Morocco breaks up Western Sahara camp

At least five people have been killed in clashes in Western Sahara, after Moroccan security forces broke up a protest camp in the disputed region.

» 09 Nov 2010
Yemen Muslim cleric al-Awlaki in US death threat video

A radical US-born Yemeni Islamist cleric has called for the killing of Americans in a new video message posted on radical web sites.

» 08 Nov 2010
Chinese shopping centre fire kills 19

A fire in a shopping centre in northern China has killed at least 19 people, state media reported.

» 08 Nov 2010
Church leader urges Iraqi Christians to quit country

A senior Iraqi Christian has called on believers to quit the country, after gunmen targeted a church in Baghdad.

» 08 Nov 2010
Pakistan drone attacks kill 13 militants

Two separate attacks carried out by suspected drones have killed at least 13 militants in north-west Pakistan, local officials said.

» 08 Nov 2010
Kenyan policeman in shooting rampage

A police officer has gone on a shooting rampage in Kenya, killing at least 10 people, officials say.

» 05 Nov 2010
Dozens die in new Mount Merapi eruption in Indonesia

At least 64 people have been killed in the latest eruption of Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano - more than doubling the death toll since it became active again last week

» 05 Nov 2010
Attack on mosque in north-west Pakistan kills 45

At least 45 people have been killed and nearly 100 injured in a suicide bomb attack on a mosque in north-west Pakistan, local officials say.

» 04 Nov 2010
Qantas A380 makes emergency landing in Singapore

An Australian Airbus A380 superjumbo has made an emergency landing in Singapore after experiencing engine trouble following take-off.

» 04 Nov 2010
Police discover US-Mexico drug tunnel

The tunnel linked warehouses on opposite sides of the border

» 04 Nov 2010
Haiti cholera deaths rise sharply

Dr Jordan Tappero, team leader for the US Centers for Disease Control in Haiti, explained the situation in Port-au-Prince

» 04 Nov 2010
Sudan police killed in clash with Darfur rebels

Several Sudanese policemen have been killed in a battle with rebels in Sudan's western Darfur region, the Sudanese government says.

» 03 Nov 2010
Colombian police raid drug assets office

Police in Colombia have raided the offices of the government body which controls assets seized from drug traffickers.

» 03 Nov 2010
Greece suspends foreign air mail service after attacks

Greece has suspended international air mail for 48 hours after several parcel bombs were sent on Tuesday, including one to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

» 03 Nov 2010
India ferry disaster kills scores

Search teams in the Indian state of West Bengal have recovered at least 74 bodies

» 03 Nov 2010
Iraq attacks: Dozens die in series of Baghdad blasts

A series of apparently co-ordinated blasts in the Iraqi capital Baghdad have killed at least 63 people, officials say.

» 03 Nov 2010
ISLANDINFO

In the words of clients and readers worldwide, Islandinfo is “lively” and “enjoyable” as well as “informative” and “professional”.

» 01 Nov 2010
Experts say efforts to beat malaria may backfire

Efforts to eradicate malaria in some countries may be counter-productive, an international team of researchers suggest.

» 01 Nov 2010
Baghdad church hostage drama ends in bloodbath

More than 30 people have been killed as Iraqi security forces stormed a Catholic church in central Baghdad to free dozens of hostages being held by gunmen there, security sources say.

» 01 Nov 2010
Istanbul suicide blast injures 32, including 15 police

A suicide bomb blast in the centre of Istanbul has injured 32 people, including 15 policemen.

» 28 Oct 2010
Indonesians try to return to homes on Mount Merapi

Villagers in Indonesia are trying to return to their homes on the slopes of a volatile volcano, despite eruptions that have killed at least 29 people.