Europe’s armies chided in report
Europe’s armies are under-performing and will need fresh Franco-British impetus to meet future challenges, a top think-tank’s report says.
More: continued here
Apples beat pears on crunch issue
Just why pears are prone to rot faster than apples after they are picked can now be explained by scientists.
More: continued here
Nigeria ‘must ban’ ex-minister
A key ally of ex-President Obasanjo must never hold office again, the Nigerian senate says.
More: continued here
Zimbabwe hails sanctions failure
Zimbabwe welcomes the failure of a UN Security Council resolution to impose new sanctions on its leaders.
More: continued here
London commuters ‘face card woe’
Thousands of Londoners using the public transport system may find their Oyster card no longer works after an electronic fault.
More: continued here
Olmert corruption probe widened
An investigation into allegations of corruption against the Israeli PM is being widened to look at whether he committed fraud.
More: continued here
‘Serious concern’ over seabirds
The poor breeding of Scotland’s seabirds is causing “serious concern”, according to RSPB Scotland.
More: continued here
UK charges over students murder
Police charge a 23-year-old man with the murders of two French students in south-east London.
More: continued here
Afghan women shot dead by Taleban
Two Afghan women accused of running a prostitution ring are shot dead by the Taleban.
More: continued here
Call to let Zimbabwe exiles work
The Archbishop of York calls on Zimbabwean exiles to be given the right to work in the UK.
Cosmonauts recover explosive bolt
Russian cosmonauts complete a spacewalk to remove an explosive bolt from a Soyuz capsule attached to the International Space Station.
More: continued here
Sinosteel raises stake in Midwest
China’s state owned Sinosteel buys a majority stake in Australian iron ore miner Midwest.
More: continued here
US ‘mulls bail-out for lenders’
The US government is reported to be considering pumping extra capital into Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
More: continued here
Lebanon agrees unity government
Political leaders in Lebanon agree on the make-up of a national unity government after six weeks of talks.
More: continued here
Armed forces chief defends troops
The head of the armed forces defends the conduct of British troops abroad after claims that soldiers abused an Iraqi boy.
N Korea rejects Seoul talks offer
North Korea rejects an offer by South Korea’s president to resume reconciliation talks.
More: continued here
US man jailed for China spying
A former Pentagon analyst who passed military secrets to a Chinese spy is sentenced to five years in jail.
More: continued here
Two found dead at rock festival
Police in Norway say two people have been found dead at a heavy metal festival headlined by Alice Cooper.
Firms ‘miss’ social site success
Businesses are not making the most of social networking sites, say researchers.
More: continued here
Boss of Belgium’s Fortis resigns
The boss of Belgium’s largest bank, Fortis, steps down as shareholders criticise his handling of the credit crisis.
More: continued here
Pyongyang criticised over killing
Seoul complains that North Korea is failing to co-operate with a probe into the shooting of a South Korean tourist.
More: continued here
‘Four die’ in S Lanka bus attack
At least four people die and 25 others are injured when gunmen ambush a crowded passenger bus in Sri Lanka, the army says.
More: continued here
Vietnamese dissident laid to rest
The funeral of leading Vietnamese Buddhist dissident Thich Huyen Quang takes place under tight security.
More: continued here
Iran ‘to target Israel, US bases’
Iran will target Israel and 32 US bases in the Gulf if the country is attacked, says an aide to Iran’s supreme leader.
Bank staff take three days to count the takings of Indian beggar
A bank in the Indian city of Calcutta opens an account for a beggar who deposited 91kg (200lb) of coins in their branch.
More: continued here
Angelina Jolie’s hospital takes ‘anti-paparazzi’ measures
The French hospital where pregnant actress Angelina Jolie is staying says it is “totally impossible” to get photos of the star.
More: continued here
Sudanese rally to support leader
Thousands of people take part in a protest to support Sudan’s president amid reports that he is to be indicted over Darfur.
Bush ex-spokesman Tony Snow dies
Former White House press secretary Tony Snow, has died of cancer, US television station Fox News announces.
More: continued here
Indonesia funded ‘E Timor abuse’
The Indonesian army funded militias that committed human rights abuses in East Timor, says a report seen by the BBC.
More: continued here
Italian wins gay driving ban case
An Italian court orders thegovernment to pay damages to a man who had to retake his driving test because he was gay.
More: continued here
Sissoko nears Juventus return
Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko says he will return from injury in time for Juventus’ European Champions League preliminary matches.
More: continued here
Protest disrupts bishop’s sermon
Gay US bishop Gene Robinson is forced to halt a sermon to a London church after being heckled from the congregation.
More: continued here
France rejects veiled Muslim wife
A French court denies citizenship to a Muslim woman, ruling that her practice of “radical” Islam is not compatible with French values.
More: continued here
Cave warning on Uganda bat virus
The WHO warns people not to enter Ugandan caves after a tourist dies from Marburg virus.
More: continued here
Plane maker invests
Bombardier Aerospace is investing half a billion pounds in Northern Ireland, which will sustain over 800 jobs.
More: continued here
German row over Obama speech plan
A leading German politician is the latest to reject a tentative plan by Barack Obama to speak at Berlin’s historic Brandenburg Gate.
More: continued here
A void in Vatican coffers as the weak dollar hits papal profits
The Vatican made a loss last year as the weakening dollar reduced the value of donations from the US.
Israel ‘close’ to Mid-East deal
Israeli and Palestinian leaders express their optimism for peace at a summit of EU and Mediterranean leaders in Paris.
More: continued here
Key US mortgage lender collapses
One of the largest mortgage lenders in the US, the California-based IndyMac Bank, collapses amid a growing credit crisis.
More: continued here
Kenyan wins landmark HIV ruling
A HIV-positive Kenyan woman wins $35,000 from her employer for unfair dismissal, in the first such ruling in Kenya.
More: continued here