Israel offers Gaza aid corridor
Israel offers to open a humanitarian corridor into Gaza as the UN Security Council meets on the conflict.

European gas supplies disrupted
Several EU countries report major disruption to their gas supplies from Russia as Moscow accuses Ukraine of shutting pipelines.

Apple to end music restrictions
Apple Inc agrees to start selling digital songs from its iTunes store without copy protection software.

Tetris 'helps to reduce trauma'
Playing the computer puzzle game Tetris might help reduce the effects of traumatic stress, say UK researchers.

China's holiday rush begins early
Migrant workers make an early start home for the Lunar New Year as China's economic slowdown leaves many jobless.

Senate snub as US Congress opens
The new US Congress opens amid a row over the man chosen to fill Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

German billionaire kills himself
German billionaire Adolf Merckle commits suicide after his business empire runs into trouble in the global economic slowdown.

US recession forecast to drag on
The US recession is likely to drag on well into 2009, according to forecasts from the US Federal Reserve.

Gunmen kidnap Nigerian novelist
Renowned Nigerian writer and novelist Elechi Amadi has been kidnapped by gunmen in the Niger Delta region, say officials.

Bhutto lament - daughter releases tribute rap song
Bhutto lament - daughter releases tribute rap song

Nigerian motorcyclists wear pumpkins to evade helmet law
Nigerian authorities are cracking down on motorcyclists who try to dodge fines for not having a helmet by wearing dried pumpkin shells.

FROM BBC SPORT >>
Tottenham hit back to hammer Burnley
Spurs take a huge stride towards the Carling Cup final by thrashing Burnley 4-1 in the semi-final first leg at White Hart Lane.

FROM BBC SPORT >>
Arsenal 'interested in Arshavin'
Arsenal are interested in signing Andrei Arshavin, according to Zenit St Petersburg's coach Dick Advocaat.

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Fizzling out
No iPhone buzz for fans at Apple's last Macworld show

Household names
A look at Princes William and Harry's new office

Ski alarm
Calls for compulsory helmets after fatal Austrian crash

Treasure hunt
How easy is it to set up a new museum in Iraq?

Parrot paradise?
World's biggest parrot colony faces growing pressures

Ethiopia imposes aid agency curbs
Ethiopia's parliament passes a bill imposing restricting aid work, for example promoting the rights of children.

Israeli envoy to Caracas expelled
The Israeli ambassador to Caracas and several other staff are ordered to leave Venezuela in protest over violence in Gaza.

Tremor hits West Papua quake area
Another strong earthquake hits Indonesia's West Papua province with no immediate reports of any casualties or damage.

Mob drama gets Scorsese backing
Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese publicly endorses an Italian drama about organised crime in Naples.

Blackwater guards plead innocence
Five employees of US security firm Blackwater plead not guilty in a US court to the manslaughter of 17 Iraqis in 2007.

Singh accuses Pakistan on Mumbai
The Mumbai attack must have had support from some official agencies in Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says.

Credit crunch warning for schools
The economic downturn could be about to hit funding for schools and children's services, a government committee warns.

Alcoa cuts 13,500 workers' jobs
The US aluminium maker Alcoa has said it is cutting 13,500 jobs, or 13% of its workforce, due to the global economic slowdown.

Warning over 'third-hand smoke'
Many people are unaware that even smoking away from babies or pregnant women presents a risk, according to US research.

Baby Jupiter's huge weight gain
The planet Jupiter must have gained mass fast during its infancy, according to astronomers.

The Stooges guitarist found dead
Guitarist Ron Asheton, who helped found Iggy Pop's band The Stooges, is found dead at his home in Michigan.

Record high for videogaming sales
Sales of videogame software and hardware in the UK hit an all time high, figures from the industry trade body show.