The Irish Times - World

In Short

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

A round-up of other world news in brief

Intrigue swirls through hallowed corridors of the Vatican

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

LETTER FROM ROME:Who was the source of a smear that led to the resignation of the editor of a church-affiliated newspaper?

Shield issue holding up arms treaty, says Russia

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

MOSCOW – Russia’s top general has said that US missile defence plans are directed against his country and differences over the issue are holding up an arms treaty with Washington, Russian news agencies have reported.

Chávez radio show to hit airwaves unannounced

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

IT WILL not appear on any listings and will pounce without warning, day or night, on to the airwaves: first a harp playing folk music, then a familiar voice.

Vice-president of Nigeria ratified as acting head of state

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

THE PARLIAMENT in Nigeria has voted to make vice-president Goodluck Jonathan acting head of state until President Umaru Yar’Adua returns to the country. Mr Yar’Adua has not been seen since November 23rd, when he flew to Saudi Arabia to receive treatment for a heart condition.

Man arrested for killing policeman 25 years ago

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

LONDON – Detectives have arrested a man over the murder of a policeman hacked to death almost 25 years ago during one of Britain’s worst race riots, police said yesterday.

Labour rebuked for calls voiced by ex-'Corrie' star

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

THE BRITISH Labour Party has been rebuked after it called 500,000 voters without permission, despite being repeatedly warned by regulators that it should not make such calls without permission.

UK student released after terror conviction quashed

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

A MUSLIM student accused of being a “wannabe suicide bomber” was released early from prison yesterday after he was cleared by the court of appeal in Edinburgh of plotting terror attacks. He claimed he had been persecuted for “thought crimes”.

Busker finds cold comfort with igloo

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:25 GMT

WITH BERLIN covered in snow and ice, a homeless man has decided to make the best of the situation by building himself an igloo.

Tymoshenko asks court to overturn electoral defeat

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:24 GMT

THE PARTY of Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has launched legal action to overturn the apparent presidential election victory of opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich, plunging the crisis- hit country into another period of uncertainty.

Haitian rescued 27 days after quake

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:24 GMT

A HAITIAN man who has been pulled alive from rubble in Port-au-Prince may have been trapped since an earthquake devastated the city 27 days ago.

Berlin ruling on child allowance may cost billions

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:24 GMT

LIFE ON welfare in Germany is a curious business for Michael Kaiser, a 52-year-old unemployed electrician from Bavaria.

Defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate to face court martial

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:24 GMT

SRI LANKA’S former army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka is to be court martialled, officials have said, a day after he was taken into custody by armed troops.

UK to hold referendum on electoral reform

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:24 GMT

BRITISH PRIME minister Gordon Brown’s proposal to hold a referendum on electoral reform was passed last night by a majority of 178 in the House of Commons. The vote will take place before October next year.

US to press for new UN sanctions against Iran

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:24 GMT

THE US said yesterday it would press for the United Nations to agree new sanctions against Iran within “weeks”, arguing that its latest moves to advance its nuclear programme had alienated key Security Council members.

MEPs vote in new European executive

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:16:24 GMT

THE INCOMING European Commission was overwhelmingly endorsed by MEPs yesterday as European Central Bank chief Jean Claude Trichet cut short a visit to Australia to attend a special economic summit in Brussels.

In short

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

A roundup of today's other world news in brief

Veteran Democratic senator Murtha dies

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

WASHINGTON – Representative John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat and Vietnam veteran who staunchly supported military spending and became a master of pork-barrel politics, died yesterday at Virginia Hospital Center. He was 77.

Volunteer reflects on Haiti's devastation and aftermath

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

MAYO WOMAN Gena Heraty (39), who has spent 16 years working with orphans in Haiti, has been reflecting on the devastation there since the earthquake struck almost a month ago.

Last night-time launch for space shuttle

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL – Space shuttle Endeavour rocketed into orbit yesterday on what is likely to be the last night-time launch for the programme.

Jackson doctor on manslaughter charge

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

LOS ANGELES – Prosecutors charged Michael Jackson’s personal doctor yesterday with involuntary manslaughter in the singer’s death last year.

Landslide victory for Costa Rica's first female president

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

COSTA RICA has elected its first female president in a landslide victory, marking another political milestone for women in Latin America.

FDP on collision course with Merkel over pace of reform

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

GERMANY’S Free Democrats (FDP), junior partners in the Berlin government, have vowed to crank up the pace of their reform plans, setting them on a collision course with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Senior British police officer jailed for corruption offences

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

THE MOST senior British police officer to be convicted of corruption offences started a four-year prison sentence yesterday after a jury decided he had tried to frame an innocent man and told a series of lies in an attempt to cover up his abuse of office.

McCreevy has no plan to return to Irish politics after stint in EU

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:20 GMT

OUTGOING IRISH EU commissioner Charlie McCreevy has no plans to return to the domestic political fray following his departure from the EU executive. However, he has left few clues as to his intentions after Brussels.

Brown under fire for delay in expenses response

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

LONDON – British prime minister Gordon Brown was accused of being out of touch on the expenses scandal yesterday after Labour withdrew the party whip from the three MPs being prosecuted.

EU officials on alert for ill-wind that will accompany Cameron

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

EUROPEAN DIARY:Brussels is already planning for a Tory victory this year and the high-stakes game of give-and-take that is bound to result, writesARTHUR BEESLEY

Palestinians to consider US talks initiative

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

UNDER STRONG pressure, the Palestinian Authority has agreed to consider a proposal by US envoy George Mitchell for indirect talks with Israel.

China overtakes EU to become Tehran's largest trading ally

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

CHINA HAS overtaken the European Union to become Iran’s largest trading partner, according to analysis of the commercial ties between the two countries.

US and France agree to impose fresh sanctions on Iran

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

PARIS – The United States and France said yesterday it was time to impose new sanctions on Iran after Tehran announced it was planning a major expansion of its nuclear programme.

French PM outlines new steps to boost social unity

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

FRANCE’S ACRIMONIOUS three-month debate on national identity wound down yesterday, when prime minister François Fillon announced a series of mostly symbolic measures aimed at improving social cohesion.

Author's plagiarism puts spotlight on Germany's literati

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

GERMANY’S LITERATI celebrated 17-year-old Helena Hegemann as a literary shooting star for her writings on substance abuse and violent sex.

Obama challenges Republicans to debate on healthcare

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

FOR THE first time since the Senate approved a draft healthcare reform Bill on Christmas Eve, President Barack Obama has retaken possession of the issue by challenging Republicans to a half-day, televised debate on February 25th.

MEPs to endorse new commission after long delay

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

THE INCOMING European Commission is poised to receive the endorsement of the European Parliament in a vote here today, ending a months-long hiatus in the EU’s prime policy-making body.

Ukraine's presidential rivals in dispute over poll results

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:39:19 GMT

PRESSURE WAS growing on Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko last night to accept defeat to opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich after official results in a presidential election gave him a narrow victory and international organisations called for a peaceful transition of power.

Inconvenient facts lie in the backstory even of cherished icons

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:04 GMT

SAO PAOLO LETTER:Abraham Lincoln came from a tradition of US abolitionists who felt whites and blacks could never live harmoniously alongside each other, writesTOM HENNIGAN

Washington residents suffer veritable Snowpocalypse

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:04 GMT

PRESIDENT BARACK Obama called it Snowmageddon.The Washington Postcoined the word Snowpocalypse, while an official at the Maryland highway authority described this weekend’s blizzard as the Big Whopper.

What Obama must do about some big issues

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:04 GMT

President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, talks toLARA MARLOWEabout the main foreign policy challenges facing the US today

In short

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

Today's other stories in brief

'Year of the Tiger' will see drive to save rare mountain species

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

TAKING TURNS to act as human ploughs, Liang Jianmin and his tiger survey team forge through mile after mile of knee-deep snow in the mountain forests near China’s frozen mountain border with Siberia.

Israel seeks renewed peace talks with Syria - Netanyahu

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

IN AN effort to reduce tension with Damascus, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said Israel is seeking to renew peace talks with both Syria and the Palestinians.

Pakistan claims 60 militants killed in stronghold assault

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

Pakistani forces have captured a stronghold of al-Qaeda-backed militants near the Afghan border after days of clashes in which 60 militants were killed, the military said.

Iraqi Shia group claims it is holding US citizen prisoner

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

AN IRAQI Shia faction tied to Iran has claimed it is holding a US citizen, missing since late January. Issa Salomi, a Californian of Iraqi origin, worked as a contractor for the US military. He was apparently abducted on January 23rd when he went to visit family members in the Karada district of Baghdad.

Ahmadinejad ups ante with nuclear fuel upgrade plan

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave instructions yesterday for the production of higher-grade nuclear reactor fuel, prompting the US and Germany to threaten carefully targeted new sanctions against Tehran.

Pirate prison on way as Seychelles seeks to protects tourism and fishing industries

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

THE SEYCHELLES, promoted by tourism brochures as an untouched paradise, is building special courts and a maximum security prison to combat the growing menace of Somali pirates.

Palin refuses to rule out bid for US presidency in 2012

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

THE FORMER vice-presidential candidate and former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin delivered what some commentators billed as her “State of the Union” address at the weekend.

At least two killed in blast at US power plant

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

At least two people were killed and more were feared dead yesterday when a massive explosion rocked a gas power plant being built in Connecticut, police said.

Discovery casts light on why some age earlier

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

Scientists have found specific genetic variants which may explain why some people age earlier than others and say their findings have important implications for understanding cancer and age-related diseases.

Former spin doctor Campbell claims bias in Iraq questioning

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

Former Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell accused the BBC’s Andrew Marr of bias over the Iraq war last night after apparently breaking down while being questioned on live television.

Lenders should take G7 lead on Haiti debt - minister

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

Group of Seven countries have told earthquake-ravaged Haiti that any debts it owes them need not be repaid and said international lenders should do the same, Canadian finance minister Jim Flaherty said on Saturday.

Berlin archdiocese to set up inquiry into clerical abuse

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

THE CATHOLIC archdiocese of Berlin is to establish a commission to investigate allegations of clerical child abuse after an “avalanche” of claims from victims in recent days.

US fights for access to EU bank data

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

THE US government has initiated a diplomatic offensive against threatened moves by MEPs to block a deal that gives American intelligence agencies direct access to European bank data.

British jazz pioneer and theme composer Dankworth dies at 82

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

Saxophonist Sir John Dankworth, one of the leading figures in British jazz for more than half a century, has died, his agent said on Sunday. He was 82.

Tymoshenko refuses to concede defeat in Ukraine

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

UKRAINE WAS facing a prolonged political crisis last night after prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko refused to concede defeat in a presidential election to opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich.

German minister calls for Lisbon treaty EU army

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:58:16 GMT

GERMAN FOREIGN minister Guido Westerwelle has called for the EU to proceed with plans for a European army under the Lisbon Treaty, which he dubbed “the beginning and not the end” of a common security and defence policy.

Indian state of Rajasthan causes controversy with decision to register child marriages

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:11:43 GMT

The centuries-old tradition is common among tribes in the west Indian state, writes RAHUL BEDIin New Delhi

Ukraine swaps faith in revolution for revolving door of discredited rulers

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:11:43 GMT

Presidential rivals in a land riven by divisions have only time spent in jail in common, writes DANIEL McLAUGHLIN

No answers yet on future of US army's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:11:43 GMT

AMERICA:Obama’s pledge to give homosexuals the right to serve openly in the military has revived a decades-long debate, writes LARA MARLOWE

In Short

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:53 GMT

A round-up of other world news in brief

Taiwan deal may harm EU-China ties

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:53 GMT

ANOTHER row with China over western military hardware is looming after self-ruled Taiwan said yesterday it would buy up to 20 military helicopters from European manufacturer Eurocopter, less than a week after Washington proposed a €4.7 billion arms deal with the island.

Twin bomb attacks on Karachi parade and hospital kill 19

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:53 GMT

PANIC RIPPLED through Pakistan’s commercial capital, Karachi, yesterday after twin explosions targeting a religious procession and a major hospital killed at least 19 people and injured at least 75.

Jackson's doctor to be charged with involuntary manslaughter

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles prosecutors plan to file a criminal case in the death of Michael Jackson on Monday.

Arms firm BAE to pay graft penalties

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

LONDON – British arms firm BAE Systems has accepted guilt and agreed to pay penalties in the US and the UK totalling several hundred million pounds to settle all the long-running corruption allegations against it.

Larsson's authorship of popular books queried

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

STOCKHOLM – Former colleagues of bestselling crime fiction author Stieg Larsson have caused a furore in Sweden by questioning his talent as a writer and casting public doubt on whether he wrote his books alone.

Danish forces seize ship taken by Somali pirates

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

BRUSSELS – Danish forces have secured a merchant ship that had been seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

UN defends climate experts over error

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

OSLO – The United Nations yesterday defended its panel of climate scientists from criticisms that an error about the thaw of Himalayan glaciers undermined its wider findings that global warming is manmade.

German coalition partner in crisis session as support falls

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

GERMANY’S Free Democrats (FDP) are to meet in emergency session tomorrow after a dramatic slump in support, just 100 days after taking office with German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Pole jailed for fathering sons with his daughter

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

A POLISH man who imprisoned his daughter for six years, raping her repeatedly and fathering her two sons, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Three MPs and peer face charges over expenses

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

THREE LABOUR MPs and a Tory peer will be charged with false accounting in relation to their parliamentary expenses, it was announced yesterday.

40 Shias killed in third Iraq pilgrim attack within week

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

TWIN CAR bombs yesterday killed at least 40 Shia pilgrims and injured 145 as they walked into the holy city of Karbala, southeast of Baghdad. This was the third fatal attack on pilgrims this week.

UN chief reserves judgment on Gaza war crimes issue

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:50:52 GMT

NEW YORK – United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has cast doubt on the credibility of Israeli and Palestinian investigations into UN allegations of war crimes during the 2008-2009 war in the Gaza Strip.

Sophisticated citizens turn their backs on cheap tack and graft

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:28:59 GMT

SHENZHEN LETTER:A prosperous city of 14 million is raising the bar for brand-name shopping and anti-corruption drives, writesCLIFFORD COONAN

Scientists communicate with man deemed to be in vegetative state

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:33:52 GMT

DOCTORS HAVE managed to “communicate” with a man diagnosed as being in a permanent vegetative state for the past five years.

In short

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:02:54 GMT

A roundup of today's other world news in brief

Court urged to reject Uribe re-election

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:02:54 GMT

BOGOTÁ – A top Colombian judge has recommended that the country’s highest court reject as illegal a proposal to allow Colombian president Álvaro Uribe to seek re-election in May, a former mayor and local media said yesterday.