World Headlines
Madoff 'had cheques ready to go'
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 10:23 A.M.
Bernard Madoff had $173m in cheques in his office desk, ready to send out at the time of his arrest, US prosecutors say.
How many scorpions? London Zoo does critter count
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 10:12 A.M.
LONDON (AP) -- How do you count scorpions?...
Former Juventus boss evades jail
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 10:04 A.M.
Ex-Juventus football club general manager Luciano Moggi is given an 18 month suspended sentence for corruption.
EU: Gazprom insists on some Russian gas monitors
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 10:02 A.M.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union says Gazprom is insisting that Russians be included in the monitoring mission overseeing Russian natural gas as it flows through Ukraine pipelines....
Red Cross: Israel delayed access to Gaza wounded
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 10:01 A.M.
GENEVA (AP) -- The international Red Cross accused Israel on Thursday of "unacceptable" delays in letting rescue workers reach three Gaza City homes hit by shelling where they eventually found 15 dead and 18 wounded, including young children too weak to stand....
Arabs put Hamas in UN draft, West offers own text
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:58 A.M.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Arab nations pressed for a U.N. Security Council vote Thursday on a newly revised resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza that also mentions Hamas by name and calls for an international force to prevent arms smuggling - two key U.S. demands....
New US-led naval force to battle Somali pirates
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:57 A.M.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A new international naval force under American command will soon begin patrols to confront escalating attacks by Somali pirates after more than 100 ships came under siege in the past year, the U.S. Navy said Thursday....
Live text - Murray v Stakhovsky
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:56 A.M.
Andy Murray plays Sergiy Stakhovsky with a semi-final place up for grabs in the Qatar Open.
Rwanda's army chief in DR Congo
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:40 A.M.
The head of Rwanda's army and a UN mediator meet the DR Congo leader to discuss tackling rebels.
Russia 'to restore gas to Europe'
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:34 A.M.
Russian PM Vladimit Putin says Moscow will resume pumping gas to Europe, as Ukraine says it will guarantee its transit.
Obama urges action on economy
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:32 A.M.
US President-elect Barack Obama says that a huge stimulus package is urgently needed to revive the US economy.
China's jobless migrants go home early for holiday
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:19 A.M.
GUANGZHOU, China (AP) -- Some hefted their luggage on bamboo shoulder poles. Others carried their things in plastic buckets. All were migrant workers hurrying to get home Thursday before China's Lunar New Year festival - a holiday that triggers one of the world's biggest annual migrations of humans....
UN halts Gaza aid shipments, cites Israeli attacks
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:16 A.M.
JERUSALEM (AP) -- The U.N. halted deliveries to the Gaza Strip on Thursday after gunfire from an Israeli tank killed an aid truck driver, and the threat of a wider conflict arose when militants in Lebanon fired rockets into northern Israel....
Poll bid for Bollywood star Dutt
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:16 A.M.
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, sentenced to jail for his role in the 1993 Mumbai bombings, may stand in India's election.
UN suspends Gaza aid operations
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 9:16 A.M.
The United Nations says it is suspending aid work in Gaza because staff have been killed and injured in Israeli attacks.
Official: Attack on US patrol kills 5
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:58 A.M.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A suicide bomber struck U.S. troops patrolling on foot in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing at least two soldiers and three civilians and wounding at least nine others, officials said....
Commerzbank is part nationalised
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:56 A.M.
Commerzbank, Germany's second biggest bank, is to be partly nationalised, with the government taking a 25% stake.
More jobs for EU's newest members
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:54 A.M.
Four more EU countries lift restrictions on access to their job markets for Bulgarian and Romanian workers.
Canada charges two with polygamy
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:45 A.M.
The leaders of two breakaway fundamentalist Mormon sects in an isolated Canadian community are charged with polygamy.
Czechs warn on EU fiscal plans
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:28 A.M.
The Czech Republic warns the European Union against borrowing its way out of the global slowdown.
Nadal in shock defeat to Monfils
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:23 A.M.
Rafael Nadal is beaten by Gael Monfils in the Qatar Open, with Andy Murray hoping to set up a semi-final against Roger Federer later on Thursday.
Pakistan fires national security adviser
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:18 A.M.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan's decision to fire its national security adviser has exposed cracks within the shaky, civilian government as it faces growing U.S. and Indian pressure to punish the alleged plotters of the Mumbai terrorist attacks....
India IT firm faces scandal probe
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:17 A.M.
Satyam faces an investigation and sees its stock suspended after its boss quit over an accounting scandal.
Police: Roadside bombs kill 6 Iraqi soldiers
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:13 A.M.
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Two simultaneous roadside bombs tore through an Iraqi army patrol responding to a mortar attack Thursday north of Baghdad, killing six Iraqi soldiers, police said. Two other Iraqi soldiers died in another blast near the city of Kirkuk....
Strauss ready to rebuild England
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:12 A.M.
Andrew Strauss insists he has the backing of predecessor Kevin Pietersen as he takes over the England captaincy.
Fewer visitors to China last year despite Olympics
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 8:08 A.M.
BEIJING (AP) -- The number of travelers to China dropped by 2 million in 2008 in what was supposed to be a banner year for tourism but became one dampened by Olympics-related security measures and the global economic crunch....
Israel accused over Gaza wounded
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 7:56 A.M.
The Red Cross accuses Israel of failing to help wounded civilians in Gaza, as the UN suspends aid work there fearing attacks.
Top Sri Lankan editor shot dead
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 7:34 A.M.
The editor of a Sri Lankan newspaper often critical of the government is shot dead in the capital, Colombo.
Analysis: Lebanese rockets raise fear of 2nd front
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 7:25 A.M.
NAHARIYA, Israel (AP) -- Residents of this northern Israeli town awoke Thursday to one of their country's worst nightmares: Rockets from Lebanon, and the possibility of a second front in a battle that has raged for two weeks in Gaza....
Ronaldo escapes unhurt from crash
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 7:12 A.M.
Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo writes off his Ferrari in a crash near Manchester Airport.
Interest rates hit all-time low
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 7:11 A.M.
The Bank of England cuts rates to 1.5%, the lowest level in its 315-year history, as it continues efforts to help the economy.
Christmas sales in US disappoint
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 6:54 A.M.
US retailers including Wal-Mart saw disappointing sales in the key Christmas trading period, as consumers reined in spending.
Venezuela to keep sending free fuel to US poor
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 6:12 A.M.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez will keep donating heating oil for poor American families in a costly decision that suggests the Venezuelan leader wants to keep to his pledges - and buttress his image - in spite of falling oil prices....
New Puntland head 'to end piracy'
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 6 A.M.
MPs in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland elect a new president, who promises to tackle piracy.
Algae-powered plane completes US test flight
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 5:51 A.M.
Continental Airlines is the latest to to test-fly a jet biofuel, this time with a product derived partially from algae.
Vietnam state to run bride agency
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 5:01 A.M.
Vietnam says it is planning to set up an official matchmaking agency for Vietnamese women and foreign men.
Spain jobless hits 12-year high
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 4:47 A.M.
Spain's unemployment total hit a 12-year high in 2008, while jobless numbers in the eurozone rose further in November.
US to lead new anti-pirate force
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 4:38 A.M.
The US will lead a new international force to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, the US navy says.
Shock at Senegal gay jail terms
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 4:09 A.M.
Activists condemn the jailing in Senegal of nine gay men for eight years - reportedly the heaviest sentences passed over homosexual acts.
Man City fail in Santa Cruz bid
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 4:05 A.M.
Blackburn reject a bid in excess of £12m from Manchester City for striker Roque Santa Cruz.
US to head anti-pirate patrols off Somalia
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 4 A.M.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The U.S. Navy says one of its commanders will lead a new international force to battle pirates off the coast of Somalia....
Rockets hit Israel from Lebanon
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:58 A.M.
Rockets are fired from Lebanon into northern Israel raising fears that the current conflict in Gaza could spill over.
US cartoon provokes Colombia ire
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:57 A.M.
Colombian coffee growers plan to sue a US cartoonist for a cartoon they say links their main advertising figure with violence.
In pictures
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:57 A.M.
Record winter chill grips large parts of Europe
Kidnapped aid workers in Somalia released
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:55 A.M.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Two aid workers kidnapped from Ethiopia by Somali gunmen more than three months ago have been released in good health, their organization said....
Oil edges upward after plunging on US report
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:51 A.M.
VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Oil prices crept higher Thursday, but aftershocks from an unexpectedly high increase in U.S. inventories kept the market subdued after a 12 percent plunge overnight....
Low-brow books?
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:44 A.M.
Donkey libraries help Ethiopians learn to read
Kenya media welcomes law review
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:29 A.M.
The Kenyan media cautiously welcomes President Mwai Kibaki's review into a contentious media law, just days after he signed the bill.
Man City fail in Santa Cruz bid
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:03 A.M.
Blackburn reject a bid in excess of £12m from Manchester City for striker Roque Santa Cruz.
Deep rifts
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 3:02 A.M.
Why Russia and Ukraine are letting Europe go cold
India and US 'in missile shield talks'
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 2:53 A.M.
India has been holding initial talks with the US over the purchase of its missile defence shield, a UK newspaper says.
Dell set to cut 1,900 Irish jobs
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 2:50 A.M.
Computer giant Dell is to shed 1,900 of the 3,000 jobs at its manufacturing site in Limerick in the Irish Republic.
US national gallery gets iconic Obama image
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 2:27 A.M.
An iconic portrait of Barack Obama will become part of the permanent collection at the US National Portrait Gallery.
China tourism 'hit by downturn'
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 2:16 A.M.
The number of foreign visitors to China fell in 2008, despite an anticipated tourist boom for the Beijing Olympics.
Ethiopia clamps down on khat dens
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 2:08 A.M.
A crackdown is launched in Ethiopia on parlours where young men chew the narcotic khat.
Asia job cuts amid economy woes
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 2:03 A.M.
Two large Asian technology firms, TDK and Lenovo, announce a total of 10,500 job cuts after a fall in demand.
Veteran Chinese activist jailed
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 1:55 A.M.
Chinese activist Wang Rongqing is sentenced to six years in jail for helping set up an opposition party.
Sri Lankan military captures rebel base in north
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 1:42 A.M.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Sri Lankan forces sweeping down from the north captured an important Tamil Tiger base on the Jaffna peninsula on Thursday, further boxing in the retreating rebel group, the military said....
Army 'takes more Tiger territory'
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 1:25 A.M.
Sri Lankan troops say they have taken more territory from Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern Jaffna peninsula.
Microsoft begins Windows 7 push
BBC - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 1:22 A.M.
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer kicked off the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by announcing the first public release of Windows 7.
Lebanon looking for who fired rockets into Israel
AP - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009 12:48 A.M.
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- A Lebanese government official says his country is trying to determine who launched rockets from southern Lebanon into Israel....
West Bank feels remote from Gaza fighting
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 11:56 P.M.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- While one part of the Palestinian territories faces the fiercest Israeli onslaught in years, there is little to remind people in the other part of the war except for news reports, requests for blood donations and flags flying at half-staff....
Bratz dolls given sales reprieve
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 11:23 P.M.
Bratz dolls are to be allowed to remain on sale during 2009 after a judge gives a reprieve to their manufacturer.
Australia to allow anti-whaling ship to dock
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 11:08 P.M.
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- The Australian government said Thursday that radical conservationists who have been pursuing Japanese whalers in Antarctic waters can refuel their ship in Australia, despite Japan's objections that they are tantamount to terrorists....
Israel bombs Gaza into the night
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:47 P.M.
Israel makes 60 air strikes on the Gaza Strip in a single night after the first daily truce to allow in humanitarian aid expires.
Mexico takes urgent economy steps
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:45 P.M.
Mexico unveils emergency measures to protect its economy, including freezing fuel prices and creating thousands of new jobs.
Vatican deplores Gaza situation
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:37 P.M.
The Vatican's justice minister criticises Israel's actions and compares Gaza to a "big concentration camp".
Pakistan sacks security adviser
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 6:57 P.M.
Islamabad removes its national security adviser hours after confirming the surviving Mumbai gunman is a Pakistani.
Canada expels US woman deserter
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 5:43 P.M.
A US army deserter and mother of three is ordered to leave Canada after her appeal for refuge fails.
Hard drive destruction 'crucial'
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 4:55 P.M.
The only way to stop fraudsters stealing information from old hard drives is by destroying them completely, a study finds.
Obama attends presidential lunch
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 4:45 P.M.
Barack Obama joins President George W Bush and the three living ex-presidents for a special White House lunch.
Everest trip helps critically ill
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 4:07 P.M.
Blood oxygen levels recorded on a trip by medics to Everest could help the treatment of critically ill patients.
Aussies overlook Hayden for ODIs
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 3:43 P.M.
Matthew Hayden left out of Australia's one-day international and Twenty20 squads to face South Africa.
Senate shift on Obama replacement
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 3:35 P.M.
Senate leaders are expected to allow Roland Burris to take up Barack Obama's vacant seat in the US Senate.
Israel accepts truce 'principles'
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 3:15 P.M.
Israel says it accepts the principles of a truce plan for Gaza but its military offensive against Hamas has resumed.
Free but homeless
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 2:15 P.M.
Chinese Uighur's search for safety after Guantanamo
Derby 1-0 Man Utd
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 1:41 P.M.
Kris Commons' ferocious strike gives Derby County a shock 1-0 win in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Pride Park.
Crucifix removed from English church for being 'too scary'
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 1:32 P.M.
A sculpture of Christ is removed from outside a church in West Sussex after its vicar said it was "scaring young children".
India IT boss quits over scandal
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 1:28 P.M.
The boss of Satyam, India's fourth-biggest software firm, resigns after admitting to irregularities in its accounts.
Gulp! Mexico tells citizens to swallow their gum
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 12:59 P.M.
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- The country that gave the world chewing gum is getting gummed up: The average square yard (meter) of Mexico City sidewalk has 70 blobs of discarded chew....
US General: Anbar lacks support of Iraq government
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 12:19 P.M.
BAGHDAD (AP) -- The top American commander in the former insurgent stronghold of Anbar said Wednesday the Shiite-led government should have poured reconstruction money into the Sunni region after Sunni fighters joined forces with U.S. troops to chase al-Qaida out of the western province....
AP Gaza reporter finds hometown in rubble
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 11:39 A.M.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- I live alone in my office. My wife and two young children moved in with her father after our apartment was shattered. The neighborhood mosque, where I have prayed since I was a child, had its roof blown off. All the government buildings on my beat have been obliterated....
Live text - Derby v Man Utd
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:59 A.M.
Championship side Derby beat Manchester United in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final at Pride Park.
12 deaths blamed on snow and cold across Europe
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:52 A.M.
MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Freezing temperatures and exceptional snowfall caused travel delays Wednesday across Europe and were blamed for at least 12 deaths, including that of a man in Milan who was crushed when a canopy collapsed under the weight of snow....
AP NewsBreak: No trial for Nazi hit man in Germany
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:51 A.M.
BERLIN (AP) -- A German court ruled Wednesday that an elderly former Nazi hit squad member is medically unfit to stand trial for the World War II reprisal killings of three Dutch civilians....
Arsenal face Arshavin frustration
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:51 A.M.
Arsenal's attempt to sign Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg is being held up by the Russian club's demands, according to the player's agent.
Diary from Swat
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:31 A.M.
Bodies, beatings and mistrust in Taleban stronghold
Dozens killed in Afghan fighting
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:24 A.M.
Coalition forces say they have killed about 50 insurgents in Afghanistan, amid reports of dozens of civilian casualties.
Mumbai gunman is Pakistan citizen
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:12 A.M.
Pakistan finally confirms Indian claims that the only surviving gunman from the Mumbai attacks is a Pakistani citizen.
Handlers on phone ordered Mumbai gunmen to kill
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:11 A.M.
NEW DELHI (AP) -- "Keep your phone switched on," a handler instructs a gunman by phone in the midst of the Mumbai siege, "so that we can hear the gunfire."...
England captain Pietersen resigns
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:10 A.M.
Kevin Pietersen resigns from his position as England captain and will be succeeded by Andrew Strauss, as coach Peter Moores is sacked.
Poetry or science
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:04 A.M.
Is romantic love just a chemical cocktail?
Best Bushisms
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 10:02 A.M.
How the outgoing US president tied his tongue in knots
Sarkozy announces justice reform
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:55 A.M.
President Sarkozy plans to scrap investigative magistrates, bringing French justice closer to the English-speaking world.
US envoy in Beijing for 30th anniversary of ties
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:43 A.M.
BEIJING (AP) -- It was the small game of pingpong that got the big ball of diplomacy moving on U.S.-China relations, and on Wednesday, the two countries commemorated 30 years of formal ties with a friendly exhibition game of table tennis....
Guinea's junta makes army arrests
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:41 A.M.
Guinea's military junta has made a series of arrests, including some senior officers, army sources say.
Kenya anger over massacre burial
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:39 A.M.
Relatives of Kenyans torched inside a church in poll violence a year ago protest at burial plans.
Chairlift mishap leaves US skier dangling with pants down
BBC - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:30 A.M.
A skier was left dangling from a chairlift at an American resort after he became stuck upside-down with his trousers round his ankles.
NKorea sets March date for parliamentary elections
AP - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009 9:25 A.M.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea announced Wednesday it will hold long overdue elections in March amid indications the impoverished regime plans to fill parliament with finance-savvy legislators and has named new Cabinet ministers with economic know-how....
