World Headlines
Obama steps up pressure on Iran
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 NOON
US President Barack Obama says the US and allies are developing "significant sanctions" against Iran over its nuclear programme.
First Lady tackles child obesity
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 11:45 A.M.
First Lady Michelle Obama launches a nationwide campaign to tackle child obesity, which she says threatens America's future.
Defiant Iran accelerates nuclear program
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 11:41 A.M.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran began enriching uranium to a higher level on Tuesday, an acceleration of its nuclear program that was followed by a U.S. threat of a "significant regime of sanctions."...
Sri Lankan parliament dissolved ahead of new vote
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 11:13 A.M.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Sri Lanka's president dissolved parliament Tuesday to make way for spring elections a day after authorities arrested a key opposition leader, crippling the only serious threat to the ruling party's stifling grip on power....
It's a wrap! Hospitals test new, more modest gown
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 11 A.M.
LONDON (AP) -- The British government is getting behind a plan to replace drafty open-backed hospital gowns with versions that preserve patients' modesty....
Live - Tuesday football
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 10:59 A.M.
Man City entertain Bolton at Eastlands in one of four Premier League games and there are a whole host of Football League fixtures too.
Dubai tower shut after visitors stuck in elevator
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 10:43 A.M.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Visitors on the observation deck of the world's tallest tower heard a loud boom, then saw dust that looked like smoke seeping through a crack in an elevator door 124 floors above the ground. The 15 people inside were trapped for 45 frightening minutes until rescuers managed to pry open the doors....
Over 60 feared dead, 400 hurt in Afghan avalanches
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 10:33 A.M.
KABUL (AP) -- A series of avalanches engulfed a mountain pass in Afghanistan, trapping hundreds of people in their buried cars and killing as many as 64 people so far, authorities said Tuesday....
Malawi gays 'must be more open'
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 10:25 A.M.
Malawian gay-rights activists must be more open, say officials, even though homosexuality is illegal in the country.
Iran jails second protest leader
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 10:20 A.M.
A second Iranian opposition leader is jailed in as many days over unrest following June's disputed presidential election.
Sri Lankan parliament dissolved
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 10:05 A.M.
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa dissolves parliament to set up early elections, a day after his main rival was arrested.
Meals on wheels
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 9:45 A.M.
Fresh food drive to make Americans more healthy
UN slams Haitian hospitals for charging patients
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 9:44 A.M.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- The United Nations has warned that it will cut off shipments of free medicine beginning immediately to any Haitian hospitals that it finds are charging patients....
Ivory Coast opposition protests voter list probe
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 9:37 A.M.
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) -- Protesters torched a police station in western Ivory Coast while claiming their names had been removed from voter rolls in advance of this year's presidential election....
Nigeria: Vice president empowered by lawmakers
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 9:18 A.M.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- Nigeria's parliament empowered Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to run Africa's most populous nation Tuesday in place of an ill and absent president, striving for a political end to a crisis that ground the government to a virtual halt and triggered the resumption of an insurgency in the vital oil sector....
Somali pirates release cargo ship with 26 crew
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 9:16 A.M.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- The European Union Naval Force says Somali pirates have freed a Panama-flagged cargo ship and its crew of 26 after a ransom was paid....
Saudi upholds 'sex boast' verdict
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 9:15 A.M.
A Saudi Arabian court upholds a sentence of five years in jail and 1,000 lashes for a man who boasted on TV of his sex life, reports say.
China gives 5 years to activist who probed quake
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 8:55 A.M.
BEIJING (AP) -- A Chinese activist who investigated the deaths of thousands of children crushed in their schools during the Sichuan earthquake was sentenced Tuesday to five years, underscoring the government's determination to suppress questions about why the buildings fell....
US Army closes in on targeted southern Afghan town
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 8:49 A.M.
NEAR LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Army soldiers launched a preliminary operation Tuesday in support of a planned U.S.-Afghan attack on the largest Taliban-controlled town in southern Afghanistan....
Australia-China mine deal mix-up
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 8:49 A.M.
The status of a coal deal between Australian mining firm Roadhouse and a Chinese energy firm is thrown into question
Europe searches for way out of debt crisis
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 8:45 A.M.
BRUSSELS (AP) -- The euro is under siege - and the next few days will be crucial....
Somali forces 'kill al-Qaeda man'
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 8:44 A.M.
Somali officials say their soldiers have killed a "senior Jordanian al-Qaeda fighter" who also belonged to the al-Shabab group.
Toyota recalls 437,000 Priuses, hybrids globally
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 8:41 A.M.
TOKYO (AP) -- Toyota is recalling 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles worldwide to fix brake problems - the latest embarrassing safety lapse at the world's largest automaker....
Nigerian assembly backs power transfer
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 8:21 A.M.
Both houses of Nigeria's National Assembly pass a motion for sick President Yar'Adua to hand power to his deputy.
Afghan tunnel avalanches kill 24
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:51 A.M.
Avalanches around a mountain tunnel in Afghanistan kill at least 24 people and leave hundreds more stranded, officials say.
Iran confuses
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:44 A.M.
What's behind Tehran's plans for further enrichment?
Italy embassy in Iran 'targeted'
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:42 A.M.
Dozens of people including pro-government militia try to attack the Italian embassy in Iran, Italy's foreign minister says.
Chinese quake activist sentenced
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:39 A.M.
An activist who questioned why so many died in a huge quake in China in 2008 is jailed for five years for subversion.
New markets boost Coca Cola sales
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:28 A.M.
Coca Cola sees sales and profits rise following a strong performance in developing markets, including Brazil.
S Africa orphanage fire kills 15
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:22 A.M.
Fire destroys an orphanage in South African town of Newcastle killing 15 people including 12 children, officials say.
Ukraine stand-off
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:20 A.M.
Instability fears as Tymoshenko poll challenge emerges
Palestinian force makes gains in West Bank
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:14 A.M.
JERICHO, West Bank (AP) -- The security men brandished their weapons and ordered the suspicious car to halt, forcing the occupants to get out and put their hands in their air. The suspects were quickly handcuffed, frisked and made to kneel on the ground as the vehicle was swept for explosives....
Toyota in global recall of Prius
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:10 A.M.
Toyota recalls thousands of Prius cars worldwide because of braking problems, in a new blow to the world's largest car maker.
Greece leads European stocks higher on rescue hope
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 7:09 A.M.
LONDON (AP) -- Greek stocks led European and U.S. markets higher on Tuesday on hopes that EU officials will provide the region's most heavily indebted economies with some form of support to keep the market crisis at bay....
Ronaldinho could miss World Cup
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 6:59 A.M.
Ronaldinho could miss out on the World Cup after failing to be selected for Brazil's final warm-up friendly.
Euro MPs back new EU Commission
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 6:10 A.M.
The new 27-strong team of European commissioners gets overwhelming backing from Euro MPs in a vote.
Yemen charges missing journalist
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 5:58 A.M.
The journalist Muhammad al-Maqalih, missing since September, has appeared in a court in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
Stranded panda lured to safety in China
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 5:55 A.M.
BEIJING (AP) -- It was like getting a cat out of a tree - Sichuan style....
India defers first GM food crop
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 5:48 A.M.
India defers the cultivation of what would have been its first genetically modified vegetable crop because of safety concerns.
Wife fears for Sri Lanka general
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 5:43 A.M.
The wife of arrested former presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka pleads with Sri Lanka's government to release him.
Greece 'to ban early retirement'
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 5:28 A.M.
Greece's government intends to raise the pension age and ban early retirement as it tackles its budget crisis.
Move to contest Ukrainian result
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 5:27 A.M.
Supporters of defeated Ukrainian election candidate Yulia Tymoshenko say they want to challenge the results in court.
Sri Lanka opposition to strike after leader held
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 5:06 A.M.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Sri Lanka's opposition called Tuesday for countrywide protests after its defeated presidential candidate was arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government while serving as army commander....
West Ham chief urges players to take wage cut
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 5:05 A.M.
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan will ask all the players and staff at the debt-ridden club to take a voluntary wage cut at the end of the season.
UN envoy arrives in North Korea to spur nuke talks
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 4:52 A.M.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A senior U.N. envoy arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, the world body's highest-level visit to the reclusive state in nearly six years, amid an international push to get it back to the nuclear negotiating table....
White Stripes battle US Air Force
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 4:50 A.M.
Rock band The White Stripes take on the US Air Force, complaining it used one of their songs in a TV advert without permission.
Tymoshenko camp vows to challenge Ukraine vote
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 4:48 A.M.
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's campaign said Tuesday it plans to legally challenge the results of the presidential runoff that opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych appears to have won....
Scottish man's terror conviction overturned
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 4:37 A.M.
LONDON (AP) -- The conviction of a man accused of wanting to become a suicide bomber was overturned Tuesday after a court in Scotland ruled that the trial judge did not properly instruct the jury....
Italy 'to punish reckless skiers'
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 4:17 A.M.
Italy's government is to consider new laws to jail skiers and snowboarders who trigger deadly avalanches.
Iran 'ups nuclear fuel enriching'
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 4:12 A.M.
Iran has begun the process of enriching uranium to 20% at its plant at Natanz in defiance of the West, state media says.
Anti-whalers, Japanese fleet fire water cannons
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3:53 A.M.
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) -- Activists vowing to stop the killing of whales exchanged water-cannon fire with a Japanese whaling fleet they are tailing in the Antarctic Ocean, as sea confrontations that have led to collisions and a sunken vessel continue....
Chavez declares energy emergency
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3:44 A.M.
President Hugo Chavez says emergency measures are needed to help tackle Venezuela's power shortages.
Angelina Jolie to visit Haiti with UN refugee body
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3:26 A.M.
GENEVA (AP) -- The U.N. refugee agency says its goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie is heading to Haiti to meet with earthquake victims....
Kazakhstan lifts media critic ban
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3:17 A.M.
A Kazakhstan court overturns a ruling banning the media from criticising President Nursultan Nazarbayev's son-in-law.
Charges over Philippines killings
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3:15 A.M.
Authorities in the Philippines charge 196 people with murder over a pre-election massacre which left 57 dead.
Pro-Shalit protest outside jail
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3:09 A.M.
Protesters calling for the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit block Palestinian visitors to an Israeli jail.
France's national identity plans
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3:06 A.M.
Newcomers to France will have to sign a declaration of values as part of a campaign to define national identity.
South Africa complete India rout
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3:04 A.M.
Dale Steyn secures match figures of 10-108 as South Africa beat India by an innings and six runs in the first Test in Nagpur.
EU gets organic 'Euro-leaf' logo
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 3 A.M.
A new EU-wide "Euro-leaf" logo will soon be compulsory for all pre-packaged organic food produced in the EU.
Gold, myrrh and...
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:59 A.M.
Could frankincense be used to treat cancer?
Head of London regulator quits
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:56 A.M.
Hector Sants, chief executive of the Financial Services Authority, announces he is to step down as head of the City regulator.
UN appeals for $538M in Pakistan humanitarian aid
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:47 A.M.
ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Aid groups in Pakistan need nearly $538 million over the next six months to help hundreds of thousands of people displaced by army clashes against the Taliban, the U.N. said in an international appeal Tuesday....
Super Bowl becomes US TV's most watched programme
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:47 A.M.
The New Orleans Saints' victory over Indianapolis in the Super Bowl is the most-watched programme in US TV history, early figures show.
Critics mock Palin's helping hand for Tea Party speech
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:17 A.M.
Sarah Palin is criticised for writing crib notes on her hands for Saturday's high-profile Tea Party speech.
Actor Sheen charged with assault
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:16 A.M.
Actor Charlie Sheen is charged with assaulting and threatening his wife Brooke Mueller during an argument on Christmas Day.
Australia too strong for Windies
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:13 A.M.
Australia beat West Indies by eight wickets in the second one-day international in Adelaide.
Ice 'probable cause' of BA crash
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:08 A.M.
The fault which caused a plane to crash land at Heathrow Airport in January 2008 was "unrecognised", a report says.
Mexico holds reputed gang leaders
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:08 A.M.
Mexico police arrest two suspected drug gang leaders in the border city of Tijuana.
Robinho was not up to it - Bowen
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 1:47 A.M.
Former Manchester City assistant manager Mark Bowensays says Robinho "massively underperformed" at Eastlands.
Poll quandary
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 1:23 A.M.
Will Ukraine PM Yulia Tymoshenko challenge outcome?
China releases first national pollution census
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 1:19 A.M.
BEIJING (AP) -- China has revealed its most ambitious measure of what explosive development has done to its environment, saying Tuesday its first national pollution census has mapped nearly 6 million sources of industrial, residential and agricultural waste....
Marines wait in the cold for Afghan offensive
AP - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 1:17 A.M.
OUTPOST BELLEAU WOOD, Afghanistan (AP) -- Take a desert of yellow-orange dust so flat it looks like Mars, with a freezing wind that blows so hard it can lift a large tent....
Nissan reports return to profit
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 12:53 A.M.
Japanese carmaker Nissan has reported a return to profit for the last three months of 2009.
India refinery 'threatens locals'
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 12:06 A.M.
An alumina refinery in east India run by a UK-based firm causes pollution threatening the health of locals, a rights group says.
Colombia mounts major drugs raids
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 12:06 A.M.
More than 20 people are arrested in Colombia in what the authorities say is the biggest anti-drug operation in a decade.
North Korean diplomacy heats up
BBC - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 12:05 A.M.
North Korea tells China it is committed to a non-nuclear peninsula, say reports, as a top UN envoy heads to Pyongyang.
Declining Greek Economy Fuels Anti-Immigrant Mood
NPR - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 MIDNIGHT
Seventy percent of migrants entering the European Union arrive through the Greek archipelago. With job opportunities vanishing in northern Europe, more and more immigrants are staying in Greece, even as a weak economy prompts a rising intolerance of foreigners.
Gunmen target Pakistan politician
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 11:50 P.M.
A senior Pakistani politician survives an attempt on his life after gunmen fire at him in the city of Rawalpindi.
Violence, tight race mark Philippine poll campaign
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 10:28 P.M.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Campaign posters went up and jingles blared at election rallies Tuesday as the Philippines' richest politician and the son of its democracy icon began a tight race to succeed scandal-tainted President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo....
Ukraine awaits Tymoshenko's move
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 8:34 P.M.
Ukraine is waiting for Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to either contest results from the presidential election, or quit.
Mexico arrests 2 reputed leaders of Tijuana gang
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 7:56 P.M.
TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) -- Mexican federal police arrested two suspected gang leaders Monday, delivering another big blow to a brutal drug cartel that terrorized the border city of Tijuana for several years....
Philippine poll campaign begins
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 7:49 P.M.
The campaign for presidential and senatorial candidates begins in the Philippines ahead of May's elections.
Haitian 'lasts 27 days in rubble'
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 6:40 P.M.
The family of a Haitian man says he has survived four weeks under rubble since the devastating quake hit of 12 January.
Doctor: Kirchner recovers well from artery surgery
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 6:29 P.M.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Former President Nestor Kirchner is recovering well from emergency surgery on an important artery feeding blood to his brain, one of his doctors said Monday....
Quake shakes southern Mexico, felt in capital
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 6:08 P.M.
OAXACA, Mexico (AP) -- A magnitude 5.7-earthquake shook southern Mexico near the Oaxaca coast Monday, setting off evacuation alarms and swaying buildings as far away as Mexico City....
Top Canadian military official charged with murder
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 5:47 P.M.
TORONTO (AP) -- The commander of Canada's largest Air Force base, who once flew dignitaries around the country, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two women...
Still no word from Toyota on Prius recall
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 5:26 P.M.
TOKYO (AP) -- Toyota is close to recalling as many as 300,000 of its popular Prius hybrids over brake problems, according to Japanese media - a decision that would further embarrass a trusted brand suddenly beset by safety problems....
Jackson doctor appears in court
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 5:04 P.M.
Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, denies a charge of involuntary manslaughter over the singer's death.
Smartphones to get even smarter
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 5:04 P.M.
A quantum physics trick is set to give smartphones and hand-held devices pressure-sensitive switches and touchscreens.
Brain injury linked to gambling
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 5:04 P.M.
Californian scientists think they may have discovered the part of the brain which makes people fear losing money.
Water punishment for US child
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 4:41 P.M.
A US soldier is arrested after allegedly punishing his four-year-old daughter with water for not reciting the alphabet.
Canada base boss held for murders
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 3:53 P.M.
The commander of Canada's largest Air Force base has been charged with the murder of two women, police say.
Michael Jackson's doctor pleads not guilty
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 3:53 P.M.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson's doctor pleaded not guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter in the death of the pop star at a brief hearing that had all the trappings of another sensational celebrity courtroom drama....
Chrysler pledges $550M to build Fiat 500 in Mexico
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 3:33 P.M.
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Chrysler Group LLC says it will invest $550 million to build the Fiat 500 minicar at its assembly plant near Mexico City....
West eyes 'strong' Iran sanctions
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 3:09 P.M.
The US says new sanctions against Iran are the "only path" after Tehran announced it was stepping up uranium enrichment.
Snow misery continues in US
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 2:46 P.M.
Fresh snow is forecast to hit the Mid-Atlantic US as some cities remain largely paralysed for a third day by blizzards.
Ukraine's Yanukovych heads for win
BBC - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 2:33 P.M.
Ukraine's pro-Moscow Viktor Yanukovych will win presidential elections, officials say, but PM Yulia Tymoshenko is defiant.
UK's Iraq inquiry turns focus to Bush officials
AP - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 1:18 P.M.
LONDON (AP) -- Britain's inquiry into the Iraq war will seek meetings with former members of the Bush administration after taking evidence from Tony Blair and other key British officials, the panel's chairman said Monday....
