Iraq war inquiry to get under way

2009-11-24T09:41:56

The long-awaited official inquiry into the Iraq War is to begin by taking evidence in public.

China executes two for tainted milk

2009-11-24T09:41:56

China executed two people for their roles in a tainted milk powder scandal in which at least six children died and more than 300,000 became sick.

More massacre victims discovered

2009-11-24T09:41:56

A Philippine police official said 11 more bodies have been recovered from a mass grave in the country's south, raising the number of massacre victims to 35.

Obama troops decision 'at council'

2009-11-24T09:41:56

Barack Obama could use an unusual war council session to make his long-awaited decision on whether to commit tens of thousands of new US forces to the stalemated conflict in Afghanistan.

Army suspect may plead insanity

2009-11-24T09:41:56

A US Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in an attack on his Texas base will probably plead not guilty and may use an insanity defence at his military trial, his lawyer said.

Cribs recalled after death reports

2009-11-24T09:41:56

More than 2.1 million drop-side cribs made by the Canadian-based Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled in the US, after reports that four infants suffocated in them.

'Half of world' lacks modern fuels

2009-11-24T09:41:56

Development officials say almost half the world's population lacks modern fuels to cook or heat or any electricity, and insist negotiators must address that "energy poverty" as part of any global climate pact next month in Denmark.

Pakistan 'must reject terrorists'

2009-11-24T09:41:56

Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh said the world must press Pakistan to stop supporting terrorists who continued to target India.

Mass animal sacrifice set to begin

2009-11-24T09:41:56

Devotees lined up outside a Hindu temple in southern Nepal at the start of a two-day religious celebration involving the sacrificial slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals.

International Emmy win for Walters

2009-11-24T09:41:56

Veteran actress Julie Walters and up-and-coming star Ben Whishaw took the top acting honours as British talent dominated the International Emmys awards.

China set for Disney theme park

2009-11-24T07:26:05

China's economic planning agency has formally approved a plan to build a Disney theme park in Shanghai, giving the city a new showcase following next year's World Expo.

Queen marks Bermuda anniversary

2009-11-24T07:26:05

The Queen will fly to Bermuda to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the island's settlement by the British.

Coma man could hear for 23 years

2009-11-24T07:07:48

A man who emerged from what doctors thought was a vegetative state says he was fully conscious for 23 years but could not respond because he was paralysed, his mother has said.

Italian air force crash kills five

2009-11-24T05:27:06

An Italian air force transport plane has crashed onto train tracks near a military airport in the Tuscan city of Pisa, killing its five-member crew, officials said.

Jackson doctor returns to work

2009-11-24T05:10:47

Michael Jackson's doctor has returned to work at his Houston medical clinic for the first time since the pop star's death.

Final stages in Khmer Rouge trial

2009-11-24T03:24:17

Former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav has spent his genocide trial minimising the role he played in atrocities committed at the infamous facility, a lawyer for the victims alleged during closing arguments.

Anger at handling of mine disaster

2009-11-24T03:24:17

Grieving miners' families have demanded answers from mining officials about the underground gas explosion that left at least 104 men dead in north-eastern China.

Jordan royals join climate campaign

2009-11-24T03:24:17

Jordan's Queen Rania and Princess Haya are among the latest "climate allies" who have signed up to an international campaign calling for a fair, effective and ambitious deal to tackle global warming to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.

Search for ferry tragedy survivors

2009-11-24T03:24:17

Rescuers plucked a woman from choppy waters off Indonesia's Sumatra island, 25 hours after she jumped from a crowded ferry that sank in a storm.

Dog attack kangaroo turned on owner

2009-11-23T23:38:27

An Australian man was in a stable condition in hospital after being slashed across the abdomen and face by a kangaroo that was holding his dog underwater.

Santas press for swine flu shots

2009-11-23T23:38:27

Forget biscuits and milk, Santa wants the swine flu vaccine.

21 killed 'in election hijacking'

2009-11-23T17:58:24

The Philippine army said it had found 21 bodies after gunmen hijacked a convoy of politicians and supporters filing their nominations for next year's elections.

Global economy 'highly vulnerable'

2009-11-23T17:58:24

The global economy has made "remarkable" progress in moving out of recession but remains "highly vulnerable" to shocks, a finance chief has said.

Separated twins continue recovery

2009-11-23T17:46:21

Recently separated conjoined Bangladeshi twins have left intensive care and are adjusting well after their marathon operation, hospital officials said.

Sting makes Amazon dam project plea

2009-11-23T17:12:39

Pop star Sting has said Brazil's government should listen to the voices of local indigenous groups before building a massive hydroelectric dam in the Amazon rainforest.

Cruise film set bulls go on rampage

2009-11-23T15:18:17

Seven bulls being used on the set of a film starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have broken free in Spain and slightly injured two people.

Commonwealth skiers bound for pole

2009-11-23T10:05:44

An eight-woman team led by a Briton has set out from a base on Antarctica to ski to the South Pole to mark the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth.

Jackson and Swift success at awards

2009-11-23T10:05:44

Michael Jackson has made history by winning four American Music Awards, but he couldn't beat Taylor Swift as the year's favourite artist and the evening's top winner.

Palin meets Billy Graham for dinner

2009-11-23T08:32:15

Sarah Palin has had Sunday dinner with the Rev Billy Graham a day before a planned stop on her book tour in eastern North Carolina.

Army solution to Jamaica's crime

2009-11-23T07:49:02

A senior Jamaican military officer has said troops should be given more powers to help fight spiralling crime in the Caribbean country.

Iran war games over nuclear sites

2009-11-23T07:18:11

Iran has begun large-scale air defence war games aimed at protecting its nuclear facilities from attack.

Brown warns over Copenhagen failure

2009-11-23T07:18:11

Gordon Brown has warned world leaders that they "cannot afford to fail" to strike a substantial deal on climate change in Copenhagen next month.

Seven dead in Indian bomb attacks

2009-11-23T05:39:20

Suspected militants have set off two bombs outside a police station in north east India, killing seven people and wounding more than 50, police said.

Emmy Awards honour for David Frost

2009-11-23T04:51:11

British TV personality David Frost is being honoured at the 37th Annual International Emmy Awards for a wide-ranging career that has taken him from pioneering political satire on television to conducting serious interviews with former President Richard Nixon and other newsmakers.

9/11 defendants to plead not guilty

2009-11-23T04:29:49

A lawyer for one of five men facing trial for the September 11 attacks in the US said the men plan to plead not guilty.

Ex-Guantanamo detainees acquitted

2009-11-23T04:29:49

A defence lawyer for two former detainees at Guantanamo Bay who were returned home to Algeria to face charges of links to terrorism said they have been acquitted by a court.

Baby joy for astronaut in orbit

2009-11-23T04:19:17

Astronaut Randolph Bresnik is a father again after launching into space and taking a spacewalk, all for the first time.

Health bill clears US Senate hurdle

2009-11-22T18:51:25

Sweeping health care legislation has cleared its first hurdle in the US Senate on a party-line vote.

Jackson's glove sold for £212,000

2009-11-22T18:21:51

The shimmering, white glove Michael Jackson wore when he premiered his trademark moonwalk dance in 1983 was auctioned off for 350,000 US dollars (£212,000) - plus tax.

Britons urged to back campaign

2009-11-22T17:46:09

Britons are being urged to back a campaign to fight deforestation in the Amazon and prevent up to three million tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere in the run-up to UN climate talks in Copenhagen.

Benefits lost over Facebook photos

2009-11-22T17:25:01

A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave who said she lost her benefits because of photos on Facebook is fighting to get them reinstated.

Stars mark Motown's 50th birthday

2009-11-22T17:03:28

Some of the all-time entertainment greats have come together to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Motown hit factory in Detroit.

Death row killer commits suicide

2009-11-22T12:06:03

A South Korean man on death row for murdering 13 people in one of the country's worst killing sprees has died after hanging himself.

Iran to begin war game exercises

2009-11-22T08:53:45

Iran is to begin large-scale air defence war games aimed at protecting its nuclear facilities from possible attack.

Kercher pair could face life terms

2009-11-22T07:51:30

Prosecutors in the case of murdered student Meredith Kercher have asked for life sentences for the two people accused of killing her.

Fearful pirate-held pair in TV plea

2009-11-22T06:13:38

The British couple kidnapped by Somali pirates have spoken on camera for the first time to warn that their captors are "losing patience" and could kill them within a week.

Spanish farmers in Madrid protest

2009-11-22T05:59:41

Thousands of Spanish farmers took to the streets of Madrid to protest at the low prices they receive for their products and saying commercial middle men take too high a cut.

Mumbai attack: Father and son held

2009-11-22T04:01:47

Italian police have arrested a Pakistani father and son accused of helping to fund and provide logistical support for last year's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.