Arabs warn of Syria 'escalation'
The Arab League's monitoring chief warns that Syria has seen an escalation of violence in recent days, as the UN prepares to discuss the crisis. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:03:44 GMT
US economic growth rate picks up
The pace of US economic growth quickened to a 2.8% annualised rate in the three months to December, the Commerce Department says. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:22:08 GMT
France to resume Afghan training
French troops will resume training Afghan soldiers on Saturday but Paris will pull out most of its troops by the end of 2013, President Nicolas Sarkozy says. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:49:51 GMT
Italian cruise firm offers payout
The Italian firm that owns the stricken cruise ship Costa Concordia reaches an agreement on compensation with several Italian consumer groups. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:45:27 GMT
Car bomb kills Baghdad mourners
A suicide car bomber kills at least 32 people and injures about 60 in a Shia district of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, with a funeral procession caught in the blast. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:24:20 GMT
Parties clash over RBS boss bonus
Ministers and Labour clash over who is responsible for RBS chief executive Stephen Hester's contract, amid anger about a £963,000 share bonus offer. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:15:08 GMT
Charges over decapitation murder
Two men are charged with the murder of a man who was found decapitated and burnt in Stockport. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:34:09 GMT
'Horrific' cruelty farmer jailed
A Nottingham farmer is jailed for a year after "horrific" scenes of animal cruelty were found on his property. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:46:30 GMT
Nadir 'needed 135 tonnes of cash'
Businessman Asil Nadir would have needed banknotes 300 times the height of Nelson's Column to balance the books of his empire, the Old Bailey hears. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:23:24 GMT
Redknapp: 'I don't fiddle taxes'
Harry Redknapp told police he has paid "fortunes in income tax" and did not "fiddle anybody", a court hears. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:36:23 GMT
VIDEO: £80m police smart phone plan criticised
An £80m Home Office programme to give police forces Blackberrys and other mobile devices has been criticised by the National Audit Office. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:15:07 GMT
VIDEO: CCTV cameras catch fish poachers
New technology is being used in Ireland to try to prevent one of the oldest crimes of fish poaching. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:22:14 GMT
VIDEO: Inside the 2012 Olympic apartments
BBC Breakfast's Tim Muffett has had a look around the athletes' apartments in the 2012 Olympic Village. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:50:12 GMT
VIDEO: Homes for families of injured troops
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham is joining with a US charity to offer accommodation on site for the relatives of injured servicemen. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:31:50 GMT
VIDEO: Michael Jackson honoured in Hollywood
The late Michael Jackson has been honoured at a ceremony in Hollywood attended by his family and a host of celebrities, including Justin Bieber. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:13:51 GMT
From bbc.co.uk/news BBC News | Also in the news | UK Edition
Trainer: Uggie the dog to retire
Uggie, the 10-year-old canine star of Oscar-nominated hit The Artist, is 'getting tired'. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:38:48 GMT
Romania sells Ceausescu luxuries
A Romanian auction house sells a leopard skin, silver doves and a bronze yak that belonged to the late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:03:46 GMT
Irish welfare office bans pyjamas
A social welfare office in Dublin bans interviewees from wearing pyjamas. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:16:28 GMT
Nepal headache over ex-VIP cars
Officials in Nepal say they are at a loss to know what to do with luxury vehicles handed back to the state by the deposed king and former ministers. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:08:24 GMT
Abba release track from archives
Pop superstars Abba are to release an unheard demo on a deluxe edition of their final album. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:25:53 GMT
How viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly
Researchers have demonstrated how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST
Visual nudge improves accuracy of mammogram readings
False negatives and positives plague the reading of mammograms, limiting their usefulness. Computer scientists have now shown that the accuracy of novice readers can be improved by nudging them visually to follow the scanpath of an expert radiologist. The "nudge" is a brief change in the brightness or warmth in the image in the peripheral field of view. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST
NASA satellites see cyclone Funso exiting Mozambique Channel
Powerful Cyclone Funso is now beginning to exit the Mozambique Channel, and NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning image of the storm that shows the depth and extent of it. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST
NASA infrared satellite instrument sees tropical storm Iggy growing in strength
The AIRS infrared instrument that flies on NASA's Aqua satellite has been providing forecasters with the cloud top temperatures in the Southern Indian Ocean's ninth tropical cyclone, which has officially been renamed Iggy. AIRS data showed that the area of strong thunderstorms around Iggy's center has expanded in area over the last day. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST
Detecting detrimental change in coral reefs
Over dinner on R.V. Calypso while anchored on the lee side of Glover's Reef in Belize, Jacques Cousteau told Phil Dustan that he suspected humans were having a negative impact on coral reefs. Dustan -- a young ocean ecologist who had worked in the lush coral reefs of the Caribbean and Sinai Peninsula -- found this difficult to believe. It was December 1974. But Cousteau was right. During the following three-plus decades, Dustan, an ocean ecologist and biology professor at the University of Charleston in South Carolina, has witnessed widespread coral reef degradation and bleaching from up close. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST
Egyptians Participate in 'Second Day of Anger'
Election of a newly-seated lower house of parliament fails to satisfy many liberal politicians and activists Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:54:59 GMT
Car Bomb Targets Baghdad Shi'ite Neighborhood
Police officials said the blast happened near where mourners had gathered for the funeral of a man killed in violence the day before Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:06:23 GMT
This Day in History
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100
National Geographic Society Founded (1888) The National Geographic Society is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. It was founded in 1888 by a small group of eminent explorers and scientists and, by the turn of the 21st century, boasted approximately nine million members. It has supported more than 7,000 major scientific projects and expeditions, including those of the Leakey family, Jacques Cousteau, and Jane Goodall. What journalistic methods were pioneered by its magazine? Discuss
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT
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UNICEF appeals for nearly $1.3 billion to assist children in 2012
The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) appealed today for $1.28 billion to provide humanitarian assistance to children in over 25 countries this year, with nearly one-third of the total amount earmarked for the crisis in the Horn of Africa. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST
UN honours memory of children who perished in the Holocaust
The United Nations today honoured the memory of the more than 1.5 million boys and girls who perished in the Holocaust, with top officials stressing the need to speak out against intolerance and to protect the lives and human rights of children around the world. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST
Independent UN expert calls on Brazil to suspend São Paulo evictions
An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged Brazilian authorities to suspend evictions from the Pinheirinho settlement in São Paulo and find durable solutions with residents. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST
Cholera fight in DR Congo receives $9 million boost from UN fund
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) received $9.1 million today from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to fight off cholera, which has affected more than 22,000 people and killed 500 over the past year in the central African country. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST
UN welcomes launch of business initiatives to end HIV among children by 2015
The United Nations and the United States Government initiative for AIDS relief (PEPFAR) welcomed today the launch of two programmes by business leaders to end new HIV infections in children by 2015. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST
French breast implant company boss charged
A FRENCH judge has charged Jean-Claude Mas, the founder of a breast implant company at the heart of a global health scare, with "involuntary injuries," his lawyer said.
Teen held for shining laser at aircraft
POLICE have charged a teenager with shining a laser light at three commercial flights landing at Auckland International Airport.
Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:18:01 GMT
Cocaine mistakenly sent to UN headquarters
A 16kg consignment of cocaine that Mexican drug traffickers recently lost has turned up in an unlikely place - the UN in New York.
New Teaser for Aliens: Colonial Marines
IGN has posted this new teaser for Aliens: Colonial Marines , which was recently delayed to the fall of 2012. The Gearbox game will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:59:16 +0100
Mass Effect 3 Special Forces Trailer
Here's your chance to see the multiplayer mode for Mass Effect 3 in action! This trailer includes details about the races and classes you'll be able to play. Mass Effect 3 will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on March 6. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:59:16 +0100
Hi-Res Photos of The Dark Knight Rises Statues and Busts
A few days ago we got a look at the 12 inch statues and busts that are coming this June and July for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises . Now, thanks to SuperHeroHype Forums member 'Nitrobot' we have received much-better images of the Batman, Bane and Catwoman statues and busts. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:59:16 +0100
Five Official Images From Marvel's The Avengers
We've seen some of these before from magazine scans, but Marvel Studios has now officially released the photos from Marvel's The Avengers online. Coming to theaters on May 4, the Joss Whedon film stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:59:16 +0100
Big Batch of New Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance Photos
Other than trailer screenshots, we haven't seen many official stills from Sony's Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance here domestically, but now, thanks to Kinopoisk.ru , there's a whole bunch that you can check out by clicking the image below! Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:59:16 +0100
Olympic ceremony 'Wonder' theme
Europe's largest bell will ring to start a £27m Olympic opening ceremony inspired by Shakespeare and featuring NHS nurses and 900 local pupils. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:16:39 GMT
Winslet to receive Cesar honour
British actress Kate Winslet is to receive an honorary Cesar Award and drama Poliss is nominated for 13 prizes at France's equivalent of the Oscars. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:41:07 GMT
Spider-Man designer Ishioka dies
Oscar-winning costume designer Eiko Ishioka, whose designs were worn by Broadway actors and movie stars, dies of pancreatic cancer, aged 73. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:26:59 GMT
War Horse film boosts book sales
Michael Morpurgo's novel War Horse has now sold more copies in the UK in a fortnight than it did worldwide in 25 years. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:04:56 GMT
Hurt to get lifetime Bafta prize
Veteran actor John Hurt will receive the outstanding contribution to cinema award at the Baftas next month, it is announced. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:03:17 GMT
Composer Clare Fischer dies at 83
Grammy-winning US jazz composer, arranger and pianist Clare Fischer has died at the age of 83. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:11:00 GMT
Spotify boycotts 'alienate fans'
Artists who withhold their albums from streaming services such as Spotify are in danger of antagonising their fans, an executive from record label Universal says. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:39:58 GMT
BBC planning for Thompson's exit
The BBC says it is engaged in "sensible succession planning" to replace director general Mark Thompson, following speculation about his departure. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:09:29 GMT
Walliams writing autobiography
The Britain's Got Talent judge reveals he is writing his life story and will call it Camp David. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:33:28 GMT
Pythons 'set to reunite' for film
Members of Monty Python's Flying Circus, including John Cleese and Michael Palin, are set to reunite for a film, according to Terry Jones. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:51:28 GMT
From bbc.co.uk/news
Article of the Day
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100
The Suez Canal One of the world's most heavily used shipping lanes, the Suez Canal extends 101 mi (163 km) from Port Said to the Gulf of Suez and connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea, allowing ships to sail directly between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. After its completion in 1869, its ownership remained in French and British hands until Egypt nationalized it in 1956, sparking an international crisis, during which it was closed for one of the two times in its history. When was the second? Discuss
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT
Ondine In folklore, an ondine is a female water nymph who can acquire a soul by marrying a human man and bearing a child. The legend is the subject of many works of fiction, including German novelist Baron de La Motte-Fouqué's fairy tale Undine and French dramatist Jean Giraudoux's play Ondine. In some versions of the myth, Ondine curses an unfaithful partner to stop breathing if he ever falls asleep. This tale gives its name to Ondine's curse, a real medical condition involving what?
Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT
Ostracism In ancient Athens, ostracism was a method of temporarily banishing a public figure. Each year, the assembly took a preliminary vote to decide whether a vote of ostracism should be held. If a majority approved holding an ostracism, voters would put into an urn a piece of pottery—called an ostrakon—marked with the name of a person they wished to be ostracized. If at least 6,000 votes were cast, the person named on the most ostraka was exiled. How long did the exile last?
Israel arrests yet another top Hamas official
An Israeli military court has ordered the speaker of the Palestinian legislative body to be jailed for six months without trial. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:58:00 +0200
Now it's Obama vs moneyed elite
The US president has launched his first salvo
in an election race marked by financial issues. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:56:00 +0200
Satanic versus free speech
Salman Rushdie has damned politicians for giving in to the "false" leaders of India’s Muslims after he was threatened with violence. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:42:00 +0200
Taste for Apple sours BlackBerry
A major challenge faces the new managers
of the addictive must-have of yesteryear. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200
One in three workers live in poverty
World needs to create almost 600-million jobs in order to tackle unemployment caused by recession. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200
Police rescue Australia's Gillard from race protests
Julia Gillard had to be bundled out of a restaurant during medals presentation as Aboriginal rights protesters demonstrated against Australia Day. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:35:00 +0200
France slammed by Human Rights Watch over spot checks
Human Rights Watch have slated French police for allegedly singling out black and Arab men for random checks as part of a new crime fighting policy. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:15:00 +0200
Water panic buying spurred by river pollution in China
Residents of a south China town have been panic buying bottled water after media reports of excessive levels of the carcinogenic metal cadmium. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:23:00 +0200
WikiLeaks founder's TV show heads to Russian airwaves
A state-run Russian TV channel has bought the rights to broadcast Julian Assange's series of interviews with "political players and revolutionaries". Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:05:00 +0200
Israel calls for tougher sanctions against Iran
Israel's defence minister Ehud Barak warns tougher sanctions are needed against Iran despite the unprecedented oil embargo agreed by the EU this week. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:38:00 +0200
Cloud streets off of the Aleutian Islands
Strong winds polished the snow of southwestern Alaska and stretched marine stratocumulus clouds into long, parallel streets in early January, 2012. After crossing Bristol Bay, the winds scraped the clouds across the tall volcanic peaks of the Aleutian Islands. As the wind impacted the immobile mountains, the airflow became turbulent, swirling in symmetric eddies and carving intricate patterns into the clouds on the leeward side of the islands. At the top of this image, the bright white color indicates a thick layer of snow overlying the land of southwestern Alaska. The pristine white is broken by the rugged Ahklun Mountain Range in the east, which is partially covered by a bank of clouds. Off the coast of Alaska, sea ice floats in Bristol Bay, cracked and chipped by the flow of the waters which lie underneath. A few cloud streets – parallel lines of clouds – can be seen in the far northwest over land. The clouds increase over the sea ice and become thick over open water, where row upon row of clouds lie close in perfectly parallel formation. The Aleutian Islands stretch from northeast to southwest across the image. Sea ice, which is bright white here, lies on the windward side of the islands. A few of the tallest volcanic peaks can be seen rising from the icy islands. The character of the cloud streets change as they impact the Aleutians, especially near the center of the image, where two rows of beautifully symmetric swirls of eddies in the clouds stretch across the sky. These swirling formations are known as von Karman vortex streets. This true-color image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite on January 11, 2012. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST
click here for large version
of this imageQuote Of The Day
Charles Dickens
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else." Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:23:21 +0100
US stocks slightly lower in thin trading
US stocks were slightly lower in thin trading Thursday amid earning reports, economic data and the Federal Reserve's decision to keep low interest rate, Xinhua reported. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:30:01 -0500
Pundits question United States strategy to reform UN
The country that has long been known to abuse its powers and privileges in the United Nations is now leading a campaign to reform the same organization. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:24:45 -0500
'Musharraf will be arrested if he returns'
Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf will definitely be arrested if he returns to the country, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said here Friday. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:10:02 -0500
31 killed in Iraq car bombing
At least 31 people were killed and 60 others injured Friday in a suicide car bombing that targeted a funeral procession in Baghdad, Xinhua reported. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:10:02 -0500
Apple launches probe into unsafe factory conditions in China
Technology giant Apple has launched a probe into a report that said factories in China that manufactured its products employed child labour and had 24-hour working days and unsafe conditions, a media Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:01 -0500
Michelle Branch Reinvents Her Music
Also, women in American football, and a visit to an American Girl doll store | EXPLORATIONS Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:02:59 GMT
These Are Not Your Usual Businesses
An American in Italy leads food tours; a Washington sandwich shop with an accent; Rent a Grandma | THIS IS AMERICA Sun, 8 Jan 2012 19:33:47 GMT
Today's Birthday
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0100
Donna Reed (1921) Reed was an American film and television actress. In 1946, she starred in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, playing Mary Bailey—the wife of James Stewart's character, George Bailey. She went on to win the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in From Here to Eternity and later received a Golden Globe for Best Female TV Star for her performance as Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show. Why did Reed once sue the producers of the TV show Dallas? Discuss
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The National Geographic Society is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. It was founded in 1888 by a small group of eminent explorers and scientists and, by the turn of the 21st century, boasted approximately nine million members. It has supported more than 7,000 major scientific projects and expeditions, including those of the Leakey family, Jacques Cousteau, and Jane Goodall. What journalistic methods were pioneered by its magazine? 
One of the world's most heavily used shipping lanes, the Suez Canal extends 101 mi (163 km) from Port Said to the Gulf of Suez and connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea, allowing ships to sail directly between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. After its completion in 1869, its ownership remained in French and British hands until Egypt nationalized it in 1956, sparking an international crisis, during which it was closed for one of the two times in its history. When was the second? 
In folklore, an ondine is a female water nymph who can acquire a soul by marrying a human man and bearing a child. The legend is the subject of many works of fiction, including German novelist Baron de La Motte-Fouqué's fairy tale Undine and French dramatist Jean Giraudoux's play Ondine. In some versions of the myth, Ondine curses an unfaithful partner to stop breathing if he ever falls asleep. This tale gives its name to Ondine's curse, a real medical condition involving what?
In ancient Athens, ostracism was a method of temporarily banishing a public figure. Each year, the assembly took a preliminary vote to decide whether a vote of ostracism should be held. If a majority approved holding an ostracism, voters would put into an urn a piece of pottery—called an ostrakon—marked with the name of a person they wished to be ostracized. If at least 6,000 votes were cast, the person named on the most ostraka was exiled. How long did the exile last?
Reed was an American film and television actress. In 1946, she starred in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, playing Mary Bailey—the wife of James Stewart's character, George Bailey. She went on to win the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in From Here to Eternity and later received a Golden Globe for Best Female TV Star for her performance as Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show. Why did Reed once sue the producers of the TV show Dallas? 
