News
Strong quake jolts north Japan
A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan early on Thursday, injuring more than 100 people, trapping hundreds in halted trains and affecting production at some high-tech factories.
China security forces vow to thwart Games threats
Ranks of Chinese paramilitary police swore to prevent terrorist attacks or "political incidents" disrupting the Beijing Olympics in a show of force at the Games' main stadium, a state newspaper reported on Thursday.
WTO talks make 'some progress,' but mood sombre
Urgent talks to salvage a global trade deal made "some progress" in the early hours of Thursday, ministers said, but officials warned the mood was dark behind closed doors at the World Trade Organisation.
Three Hong Kong children jailed for armed holdup
Three Hong Kong children have jailed for more than three years for the armed hold-up of a jewellery shop, a newspaper said on Thursday, with the court saying the stiff sentence was in the public interest.
African cotton farmers hope for trade breakthrough
While besuited government officials slug it out at world trade talks in Geneva this week, African peasant farmers watching their cotton plants grow hope any deal will allow them to farm their way out of poverty.
God Sent Me An Angel
I was walking along a country road one calm and cloudy day. Feeling down about the problems that had seemed to come my way. My pain was very great and my tears I could not hide. And was calling God to help me as I was hurting deep inside
Barbecue of decision
So he Elijah set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was ploughing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, 'Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.' Then Elijah said to him, 'Go back again; for what have I done to you?' He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the
'Fake-death' canoe couple jailed
A woman who helped fake her husband's death in a canoeing accident was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison on Wednesday for her part in a daring scam that deceived even the couple's children.
Bank split three ways on interest rates path
One Bank of England policymaker wanted to raise interest rates this month and another wanted a cut, but the remaining seven chose to keep them steady as both inflation and economic growth prospects had worsened.
Karadzic to conduct own defence
Radovan Karadzic will conduct his own defence in the Hague tribunal and is convinced he will be cleared of the charges of genocide, relatives and associates of the war crimes suspect said on Wednesday.
Marine who dived on grenade to be honoured
A marine who survived after diving on a live grenade to shield his comrades while on a mission in Afghanistan is to receive Britain's highest bravery award, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
Emile Heskey's fiancee robbed at knifepoint
The fiancee of England football player Emile Heskey was robbed at knifepoint after two men smashed their way into the striker's home in northern England, the Premier League player said on Wednesday.
Kenya says Brown helped resolve crisis
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga credited Gordon Brown on Wednesday with helping to start the process that resolved the east African country's bloody crisis after its presidential election last December.
Nigeria militants plan to destroy oil pipelines
The main militant group in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta said on Wednesday it would attack major oil pipelines in the next 30 days to prove it had not received payment from the government to end its campaign.
Bomb plotters lose appeal
Five men who were jailed for life for plotting al Qaeda-inspired bomb attacks lost appeals against their convictions on Wednesday.
'Pitiful' fines for selling knives to children
Shopkeepers who sell knives to children under 16 are being handed "pitiful" fines rather prison terms, the Liberal Democrats said on Wednesday, as it emerged no one was jailed for the offence in the five years to 2006.