Judge throws out Conrad Black's plea not to put him in jail

Conrad Black's plea for a judge to keep him out of jail until the appeal in his fraud case has been thrown out of court Read More

Irish cardinal attempts to block publication of child abuse files

Two of Ireland's top Catholic clerics clash in court over secret church files Read More

Gunmen hit Israeli Embassy in Mauritania

At least one gunman opened fire on the Israeli Embassy in Mauritania early Friday, setting off a gunbattle with guards that wounded three people, Israeli and Mauritanian officials said. Read More

Irish cardinal attempts to block publication of child abuse files

Two of Ireland's top Catholic clerics clash in court over secret church files Read More

Street dancers open Rio's crazy carnival (AP)

AP - To the sound of blasting samba, men dressed as nuns swilled beer and danced down the cobblestoned streets of a Rio hillside Friday night to kick off five days of uninhibited carnival madness.

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Leaders discuss Kenya, Chad crises as Africa summit wraps up (AFP)

AFP - African Union leaders gathered in Ethiopia were set Saturday to discuss means of containing the violence in Kenya and Chad during a special meeting on the last day of their summit.

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Rival Kenyan parties: Violence must end

Rival Kenyan parties: Violence must end
Rival parties in Kenya said Friday they had agreed to take immediate action to end violence after a month of deadly turmoil over a disputed presidential election.

Bad news for Royal Mail? EU bans postal monopolies from 2011

Bad news for Royal Mail? EU bans postal monopolies from 2011
National monopolies for mail delivery in the European Union will be dismantled by 2011, with postal companies free to operate in any of the EU's 27 countries - meaning the Royal Mail could face threats by European competitors on British soil

Van der Sloot denies Holloway connection (AP)

AP - Dutch student Joran van der Sloot denied Friday that he had anything to do with Natalee Holloway's disappearance, saying he lied when he told someone privately he was involved.

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NATO row develops as US begs France and Germany to send more troops to Afghanistan

Division is looming in the NATO alliance after the US begged its European allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, but was refused by France and Germany. The row comes as a top al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan has been killed in a US missile strike, a rare victory as the country slides towards a 'failed state' Read More

Chinese workers suffer in snowstorms (AP)

AP - Hu Qingyuan camped out Friday, waiting for a train to take him home for the Chinese New Year holiday � his only chance each year to see his wife and 8-year-old son.

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US military deaths in Iraq at 3,943 (AP)

AP - As of Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at least 3,943 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes eight military civilians. At least 3,209 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

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Street dancers open Rio's crazy carnival (AP)

AP - To the sound of blasting samba, men dressed as nuns swilled beer and danced down the cobblestoned streets of a Rio hillside Friday night to kick off five days of uninhibited carnival madness.

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Poland may host U.S. defense system

Poland may host U.S. defense system
Poland said Friday it has reached an agreement in principle with the United States on plans to install a missile defense system on Polish territory.

NATO row develops as US begs France and Germany to send more troops to Afghanistan

Division is looming in the NATO alliance after the US begged its European allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, but was refused by France and Germany. The row comes as a top al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan has been killed in a US missile strike, a rare victory as the country slides towards a 'failed state' Read More

Bolivian plane crash-lands, all survive (AP)

AP - A plane carrying more than 150 people crash-landed in a bog in eastern Bolivia on Friday after fierce storms turned it away from its destination and it tried to reach another airport hundreds of miles away, according to officials and news reports. All on board survived.

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Hollywood A-list turns out to hear Clinton and Obama hint at running together

Hollywood A-list turns out to hear Clinton and Obama hint at running together
It was billed as 'Fight Night', 'The Final Showdown', and even 'The Democrats' Ali versus Frazier'. But in the end, the first one-to-one TV debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was not so much a punchfest as a barbed match of who could be the most polite

Anti-malaria efforts yield new success

Anti-malaria efforts yield new success
Widespread use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and state-of-the-art drugs has succeeded in cutting malaria deaths in half in two countries most heavily affected by the disease, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, the World Health Organization reports.

Kenya rivals agree to act on violence (AP)

Kenya rivals agree to act on violence (AP)

AP - Kenya's rival sides said Friday they had agreed to take action to end monthlong violence from a disputed presidential election, but the death toll mounted when police fired on mobs setting homes and businesses ablaze in the west of the country.

British troops 'killed a PoW and mutilated bodies of Iraq rebels'

British troops killed a prisoner and mutilated the bodies of 20 Iraqi insurgents, it was claimed in court yesterday. Other captives are also said to have been abused or tortured in the aftermath of a gun battle in southern Iraq in May 2004 Read More

Mentally retarded women used in bombings (AP)

Mentally retarded women used in bombings (AP)

AP - Two mentally retarded women strapped with remote-control explosives � and possibly used as unwitting suicide bombers � brought carnage Friday to two pet bazaars, killing at 73 people in the deadliest day since Washington flooded the capital with extra troops last spring.

Scientists develop tearless onion

Scientists develop tearless onion
Cooks may no longer have to suffer stinging eyes and crying in the kitchen

Europe boosted by prospect of takeovers (FT.com)

FT.com - A new wave of bid activity helped European stock markets defy the gloom in the financial sector this week. Read More

British paedophile jailed in Sweden for infecting two women with HIV

A Swedish court on Friday sentenced a British man to 14 years in prison for infecting two young women with HIV and putting 13 more at risk of infection Read More

Irish cardinal attempts to block publication of child abuse files

Irish cardinal attempts to block publication of child abuse files
Two of Ireland's top Catholic clerics clash in court over secret church files

Media bidding war starts for Guantanamo ex-detainee (Reuters)

Media bidding war starts for Guantanamo ex-detainee (Reuters)

Reuters - Australian David Hicks, the only Guantanamo Bay detainee convicted of terrorism charges, is at the centre of a worldwide media bidding war for his story, with a possible price tag of A$1 million (US$892,000), local media said.

Top Al-Qaeda operative 'killed by US strike in Pakistan' (AFP)

AFP - A top Al-Qaeda commander who led Osama bin Laden's terror network in Afghanistan was believed to have been killed when a missile fired by a US drone hit his Pakistani hideout, officials said Friday.

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Three weeks of record-breaking snow storms cost China 53.8 billion yuan (�3.76 billion)

Three weeks of snow storms kill at least 60 people and cost 53.8 billion yuan (�3.76 billion) in damage Read More

Bin Laden aide killed in US strike

Al-Qaida figure in Afghanistan, seen as one of Bin Laden's top six lieutenants, is killed Read More

Former SAS officer accused of leading failed coup has been extradited to Equatorial Guinea

Former SAS officer accused of leading failed coup in Equatorial Guinea has been extradited from Zimbabwe Read More

British troops 'killed a PoW and mutilated bodies of Iraq rebels'

British troops 'killed a PoW and mutilated bodies of Iraq rebels'
British troops killed a prisoner and mutilated the bodies of 20 Iraqi insurgents, it was claimed in court yesterday. Other captives are also said to have been abused or tortured in the aftermath of a gun battle in southern Iraq in May 2004

Snowstorms have killed 60, China says

Snowstorms that have battered many parts of China over the last three weeks have killed at least 60 people and caused billions of dollars in damage, the Civil Affairs Ministry said Friday.

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Anti-malaria efforts yield new success

Anti-malaria efforts yield new success
Widespread use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and state-of-the-art drugs has succeeded in cutting malaria deaths in half in two countries most heavily affected by the disease, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, the World Health Organization reports.

Africa summit focus shifts from Kenya to Chad (AFP)

AFP - A summit of African Union leaders shifted its attention Friday from the crisis in Kenya to Chad, with delegates voicing fears of a major conflict that could scupper peace efforts in Sudan.

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Bin Laden aide killed in US strike

Al-Qaida figure in Afghanistan, seen as one of Bin Laden's top six lieutenants, is killed Read More

China storms cause $7.5B in damages (AP)

China storms cause $7.5B in damages (AP)

AP - Three weeks of crippling snow storms across China have inflicted $7.5 billion in damages, the government said Friday, as it announced a $700 million relief fund for farmers.

Natalee Holloway case solved?

Aruban prosecutors said Thursday that authorities are investigating new information in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway provided by a Dutch crime reporter.

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International news in brief

EU orders authorities to end Naples rubbish crisis | Sarkozy and Bruni sue Ryanair over advert Read More

'Governator' muscle lifts McCain's bid as he surges towards Super Tuesday

Republican frontrunner will today receive the all-important backing of the 'Governator' - Arnold Schwarzenegger. The endorsement for the Republican winner in Florida comes as John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani both drop out of the presidential race Read More

China storms cause $7.5B in damages (AP)

AP - Three weeks of crippling snow storms across China have inflicted $7.5 billion in damages, the government said Friday, as it announced a $700 million relief fund for farmers.

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This is your pilot speaking... and crying and swearing. And demanding to talk to God!

This is your pilot speaking... and crying and swearing. And demanding to talk to God!
The co-pilot of a Heathrow-bound plane had to be dragged screaming from the cockpit while suffering a mental breakdown. Horrified passengers watched him being held down by other crew members and a passenger, a member of the Canadian armed forces

Japan kills whales as protesters pull out: report (AFP)

Japan kills whales as protesters pull out: report (AFP)

AFP - Japanese harpoonists killed five whales in one day after protesters who had halted the hunt in Antarctic waters were forced to return to port to refuel, an Australian report said Friday.

Indian call centres for British firms 'badly hit' after two severed undersea cables knock out internet

Indian call centres for British firms 'badly hit' after two severed undersea cables knock out internet
Call centres in India serving British banks and other companies have been hit by a catastrophic failure of the region's internet system

Gunmen hit Israeli Embassy in Mauritania

Gunmen hit Israeli Embassy in Mauritania
At least one gunman opened fire on the Israeli Embassy in Mauritania Friday, setting off a battle with guards that wounded one person, according to Israeli officials and witnesses.