The Irish Times - World

Jackson Moonwalk glove sells for $350,000

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:20:59 GMT

The shimmering, white glove Michael Jackson wore when he premiered his trademark moonwalk dance in 1983 was auctioned off for $350,000 (€235499), plus tax.

Passenger ferry sinks off Sumatra

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:31:40 GMT

A ferry with 213 people on board sank off Indonesia's Riau islands this morning after being battered by bad weather, killing at least one person, police said.

US health bill passes first hurdle

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:16:03 GMT

A sweeping healthcare overhaul narrowly cleared its first hurdle in the US Senate last night with Democrats casting 60 party-line votes to open debate on the biggest healthcare changes in decades.

China mine explosion kills 42

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:18:56 GMT

A gas explosion in a coal mine in northern China today, killing 42 people and trapping 82 others in a shaft nearly a third of a mile under ground, government authorities said.

Knox prosecutors seek life term

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:15:01 GMT

Italian prosecutors today called for a life sentence for American university student Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the 2007 murder of Briton Meredith Kercher.

Tamiflu-resistant swine flu reported

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:52:14 GMT

Five patients diagnosed with Tamiflu-resistant swine flu at a Welsh hospital could be the world’s first cases of person-to-person transmission of the strain.

Flood-hit UK faces more rain

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:36:41 GMT

The emergency services in England were searching homes today as residents braced themselves for more rain the wettest day on record caused chaos, flooding homes, sweeping away bridges and claiming the life of a policeman.

US couple admit spying for Cuba

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:05:31 GMT

A former US State Department official and his wife pleaded guilty last night to charges that they spied for almost three decades for the Communist-led Cuban government.

Cern restarts Hadron Collider

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:49:33 GMT

Scientists have switched on the world’s largest atom smasher for the first time since the $10 billion machine suffered a spectacular failure more than a year ago.

Six dead in Colombia bus attack

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:30:47 GMT

Six people, including two children, were killed when suspected Colombian Farc guerrillas stopped and set fire to bus traveling in the south of the country, a local state governor said today.

Pelosi critical of Afghan leader

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:05:44 GMT

Afghan president Hamid Karzai is an "unworthy partner" who does not deserve a big boost either in US troops or civilian aid, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Swine flu spreading east - WHO

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:32:24 GMT

The H1N1 flu is moving eastwards across Europe and Asia after appearing to peak in parts of western Europe and the United States, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said today.

Galileo's missing body parts found

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:32:24 GMT

An art collector has found a tooth, thumb and finger of the renowned Italian scientist Galileo Galilei who died in the 17th century, Florence's History of Science museum announced today.

Dismay over Iran nuclear stance

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:28:02 GMT

Senior officials from six world powers expressed disappointment today that Iran had not accepted proposals intended to delay its potential ability to make nuclear bombs, and urged Tehran to reconsider.

Man who killed in sleep set free

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:56:10 GMT

A Briton who strangled his wife during a nightmare because he believed he was attacking an intruder, walked free from court today after prosecutors withdrew their case against him.

Body found as severe floods hit UK

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:56:10 GMT

A policeman was feared dead in Brtain after vanishing when a bridge collapsed during floods which followed torrential rain of "biblical proportions" in northwestern areas today.

Oprah Winfrey to end daytime show

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:38:25 GMT

Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential and highly paid women on television, is to announced today that she is ending her popular daytime talk show in 2011.

Transsexual in political scandal found dead

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:38:25 GMT

A Brazilian transsexual caught up in a scandal which prompted the resignation of a senior Italian politician - the centre-left governor of Lazio region, which includes Rome - was found burnt to death in his home today.

EU body backs single H1N1 vaccine dose

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:33:54 GMT

In a change of tack, Europe's drugs watchdog said today that giving a single dose of GlaxoSmithKline's Pandemrix or Novartis's Focetria swine flu vaccines would suffice for most people.

Russia is worst country for fraud

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:17:50 GMT

Russia has the world's most fraudulent economy and attempts to stamp out white-collar crime have done little to stop its spread during the global financial downturn, PricewaterhouseCoopers said in a survey.

Afghanistan suicide attack kills 17

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:13:47 GMT

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed 17 people, including a senior police official and his two bodyguards, in southwest Afghanistan today.

Police officer missing in UK floods

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:22:00 GMT

A search is under way for a police officer missing after a bridge collapsed during floods in Cumbria, north west England.

Five dead in Saipan shooting

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:56:37 GMT

A gunman went on a rampage on the Pacific resort island of Saipan today, killing four people and wounding six others before fatally shooting himself, officials said.

Maoists 'derail train in India'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:46:15 GMT

A passenger train derailed after Maoist rebels blew up a key track in eastern India, killing one person and injuring at least 30 others, a police official said today.

Google previews new OS

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:30:29 GMT

New Google software will start up a computer as fast as a television can be turned on, the search company has claimed as it unveiled its web-oriented Chrome operating system (OS).

Peru arrests 'human fat killers'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:14:53 GMT

A gang in the remote Peruvian jungle has been killing people for their fat for use in cosmetics, police have said.

US welcomes EU appointments

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:14:53 GMT

US president Barack Obama has welcomed the appointment of Belgian prime minister Herman Von Rumpoy as the European Union's first permanent EU president.

Egypt recalls Algiers envoy

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:37:17 GMT

Egypt recalled its ambassador from Algiers for consultations today after its soccer team lost to rival Algeria in a play-off to reach the World Cup finals, accusing its fans of post-match thuggery in Sudan.

US immmigration reform overhaul on cards

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:37:17 GMT

Some US Democrats see momentum building for an overhaul of immigration laws that would legalise millions of undocumented workers, but analysts say a crowded agenda and struggling economy may once again sink hopes for reform next year.

Van Rompuy confirmed as European Union president

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:04:43 GMT

EU Leaders named Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the Union's first president tonight and appointed Briton Catherine Ashton as its foreign affairs chief.

Afghanistan 'is worse place to be born'

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:25:37 GMT

Eight years after a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, the war-ravaged state is the most dangerous place in the world for a child to be born, the United Nations said today.

Suspected mafia hitman held in Italy

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:19:05 GMT

Italian police arrested a suspected mafia hitman today whose brazen killing of a man in Naples last May was caught on video and shocked the country, prompting reluctant witnesses to come forward.

'Computer glitch' hits US flights

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:53:55 GMT

A computer problem with the system that collects airlines' flight plans is causing widespread flight cancellations and delays across the US today.

US army liable over Katrina floods

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:53:55 GMT

A judge has ruled the US Army Corps of Engineers was negligent in maintaining a key navigational channel in New Orleans and was liable for some damage caused by massive flooding from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Russia extends death penalty ban

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:06:34 GMT

Russia's Constitutional Court today effectively abolished the death penalty, extending indefinitely a 13-year-old moratorium on capital punishment.

UN inspectors revisit Iran facility

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:49:42 GMT

UN inspectors revisited Iran's second uranium enrichment facility today, diplomats said, after voicing concern that Tehran's belated disclosure of the nuclear site meant more may be hidden away.

Pakistan bomber kills at least 19

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:31:08 GMT

A suicide bomber killed 19 people outside a Pakistan court today in the latest attack of an onslaught by Taliban reacting to the army offensive against them on the Afghan border.

Karzai sworn in for second term

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:09:05 GMT

Newly-inaugurated Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged today to tackle corruption and said his country's security forces should be ready to take over responsibility of unstable areas in three years.

North Korea urged to end isolation

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:36:42 GMT

US President Barack Obama said he was willing to help North Korea repair its economy and end decades of international isolation if Pyongyang stopped a cycle of threats and finally moved towards nuclear disarmament.

EU leaders in stalemate over jobs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:15:26 GMT

Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is making last-ditch attempts to stitch together a compromise deal between deadlocked EU leaders before a summit tonight to choose the first president of the European Council and the union’s new foreign policy chief.

Space shuttle arrives at ISS

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:45:16 GMT

Space shuttle Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today to deliver spare parts needed to keep the outpost operational after the shuttles' retirement next year.

Repression still rife in Cuba - report

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:55:09 GMT

Cuba's Raul Castro has kept the system his brother Fidel used to repress critics, refusing to free scores of people imprisoned years ago and jailing others for "dangerousness," Human Rights Watch said in a report issued today.

German population set to decline

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:06:31 GMT

Germany's population will shrink to as few as 65 million people from a current population of 82 million in the next 50 years due to a low birth rate, the Federal Statistics Office said in a forecast for the year 2060 presented today.

Berlusconi rules out early election

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:34:42 GMT

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi ruled out early elections today, rejecting a warning by the Senate speaker that splits in the government threatened its ability to stay in power.

Guantánamo deadline 'to be missed'

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:18:20 GMT

US president Barack Obama today admitted he will miss his self-imposed deadline of January for for closing the Guantánamo Bay military prison in Cuba.

Polish president in hospital

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:25:50 GMT

Polish president Lech Kaczynski is in hospital with an infection and has cancelled all engagements this week, including plans to attend a meeting of European Union leaders, his office said today.

Woman stoned to death in Somalia

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:10:21 GMT

A woman has been stoned to death in Somalia for committing adultery in breach of Islamic law.

Clinton arrives for Afghan visit

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:21 GMT

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Afghanistan today for her first visit as her country's top diplomat.

Women 'bear brunt' of climate change

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:34:07 GMT

Women bear the brunt of drought, rising seas, melting glaciers and other effects of climate change but are mostly ignored in the debate over how to halt it, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said today.

Captain of hijacked tanker dies

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:17:47 GMT

The captain of a Virgin-Islands owned chemical tanker hijacked earlier this week has died, a Somali pirate said.

Israeli building move angers US

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:33 GMT

An aide to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu today dismissed US anger at Israel's approval for new homes in a settlement near Jerusalem, saying it was part of a routine building programme.

Obama meets China premier Wen

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:14:16 GMT

US president Barack Obama continued courting China in talks with Premier Wen Jiabao earlier today.

Iraqi VP veto casts election doubt

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:42:58 GMT

Iraq's vice president today said he had vetoed part of an election law over the allocation of seats to displaced Iraqis, throwing fresh doubt over plans for general elections in January.

China court rules against Microsoft

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:14:42 GMT

Microsoft has been ordered by a Chinese court to stop selling versions of its Windows operating systems that include fonts designed by a local company, citing a violation of licensing agreements.

Afghans view poverty as war cause

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:58:48 GMT

Most Afghans see not Taliban militants but poverty, unemployment and government corruption as the main causes of war in their country, according to a report by a leading aid group released today.

Former army chief heads Thai party

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:26:39 GMT

A former Thai army chief who led the 2006 coup that toppled ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra was named leader of a new party today.

Zelaya vote deferred to after election

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:30:30 GMT

Honduran legislators will wait until after a November 29th election to decide whether to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya, delaying a vote central to a US-led deal to end months of political turmoil.

US 'dismayed' over Israel settlement plan

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:49:43 GMT

The White House said today that it was "dismayed" over Israeli approval to expand the Gilo settlement in Jerusalem and sharply criticized the ongoing evictions and demolition of Palestinian homes.

France to handover Eta suspect

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:16:20 GMT

An appeals court in southwestern France agreed today to handover a lawyer to Spain who is suspected of acting as a messenger for Basque separatist group Eta, a court official said.

Five sentenced to death over Iran unrest

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:42:11 GMT

Five people have been sentenced to death and 81 have received jail terms of up to 15 years in connection with unrest after Iran's disputed June election, state broadcaster IRIB reported today.

Man charged over Jewish massacre

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:38:15 GMT

A 90-year-old former member of the SS has been charged with 58 counts of murder for the 1945 killings of Jewish forced labourers in Austria.

S Africans targets migrants in jobs row

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:06:48 GMT

South African police fired rubber bullets today to disperse a mob who attacked shacks belonging to 600 migrants, an incident reminiscent of 2008 xenophobic riots in which at least 42 people were killed.

Somali pirates free Spanish ship

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:06:48 GMT

Somali pirates have today freed a Spanish tuna fishing boat hijacked six weeks ago, prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said, while a pirate claimed a ransom had been paid for the boat and its crew.

Most smokers support workplace ban

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:50:52 GMT

Most smokers around the world support bans to prohibit lighting up in the workplace, according to a new survey published.

US and China pledge to co-operate

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:09:13 GMT

US president Barack Obama and Chinese president Hu Jintao today pledged their governments to deeper co-operation while downplaying differences after meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Czechs recall 'Velvet Revolution'

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:32:35 GMT

Thousands of people will take to the streets of Prague today to reenact a demonstration 20 years ago that led to the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia a week after the Berlin Wall fell.

Mugabe urges lifting of sanctions

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:32:35 GMT

President Robert Mugabe today called for the West to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe, saying "neo-colonialist enemies" were trying to make his land reform fail and his country dependent on food imports.

Conjoined twins separated

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:15:37 GMT

Twin Bangladeshi girls who were joined at the top of their heads and shared blood vessels and brain tissue were successfully separated today after 25 hours of delicate surgery, hospital officials said.

Thaksin supporters plan more protests

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:59:39 GMT

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's supporters today announced plans for a prolonged street protest beginning in late November and lasting until the government steps down and calls elections.

Obama hopes for climate deal

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:31:31 GMT

US president Barack Obama said today climate talks in Copenhagen next month should fix a new deal which has "immediate operational effect", even if an original goal of a legally binding pact is out of reach.

Somali pirates seize tanker

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:15:49 GMT

A Virgin Islands-owned chemical tanker carrying 28 North Korean crew members has been hijacked by Somali pirates off the Seychelles, the multinational naval force operating in the area said today.

Brown raises Afghanistan timetable

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:19:39 GMT

Britain has offered to host an international conference early next year to set a timetable for transferring security responsibilities to Afghan forces from 2010, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said yesterday.

50 feared dead in Burma sinking

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:04:03 GMT

At least 50 people are believed to have drowned in Burma when a wooden ferry packed with 178 people collided with a tugboat on a river in the southern Irrawaddy delta region, officials said today.

UN court acquits Rwandan leader

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:48:22 GMT

A UN court's appeals chamber has acquitted a Rwandan leader who was sentenced to 20 years in prison over the 1994 genocide because of shortcomings in the evidence.

Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:48:50 GMT

Space shuttle Atlantis and six astronauts blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida today on one of the last supply runs to the International Space Station before the shuttle fleet is retired next year.