Dutch set up clerical abuse commission
The Catholic Church in the Netherlands is asking an independent commission to look into reports of alleged sexual abuses by priests, it said today, in response to an increasing number of victims coming forward.
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House rejects Afghanistan pullout
The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly rejected a measure calling for President Barack Obama to pull US forces from Afghanistan, in an election-year test of his decision to escalate the war.
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Sex.com set to go under hammer
Sex.com, often touted as one of the most valuable internet domain names, is due to head to the auction block next week.
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Burma unveils election proposal
Burma’s military government today announced criteria for the formation of an election commission, one of five new laws enacted ahead of long-awaited polls that, until now, have been shrouded in secrecy.
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Fake broadcast sparks Georgian fears
A Georgian television channel is struggling to explain a fake news report that Russia had invaded and taken power, and that President Mikahil Saakshvili had been killed
Barack Obama tries to find a scapegoat for his own hubris
The demise of the White House’s Social Secretary is a morality tale that says much about Barack Obama’s administration, argues Toby Harnden
Israel seals off West Bank as tensions rise
Israel sealed off the West Bank on Friday as tensions mounted in Jerusalem over controversial plans to build new homes for Jewish settlers.
Eight killed in Afghan attacks
Five Afghan civilians, four of them children, were killed in an explosion today, while gunmen shot dead a South African construction contractor and his Afghan colleague in a separate attack, officials said.
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Green Belt housing scheme promoted by footballers leaves investors in the red
Investors from the Far East left without a penny gain in four years after putting money into a “get rich quick” property scheme promoted by two former England football players.
Leonardo da Vinci to become Hollywood hero in new film
He was an artist, inventor, scientist and visionary. Five hundred years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci can add another string to his bow: Hollywood action hero.
Indonesia police ‘kill militant leader’
Indonesian police believe they have shot dead a top fugitive militant, wanted over the 2002 Bali bombings, in what could be a major coup in the country’s fight against Islamist radicals.
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Investigation into runaway Prius
US safety regulators and car-manufacturer Toyota are investigating the circumstances surrounding a Prius car that sped out of control on a California freeway earlier this week.
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Russia to build 16 nuclear reactors for India
Russia is to build up to 16 nuclear reactors in India under a deal announced by Vladimir Putin.
South African prostitute goes to court over ‘unfair dismissal’
A South African prostitute has gone to court, claiming she was unfairly sacked from her job at a Cape Town massage parlour.
Madonna serves as relationship expert on ‘Marriage Ref’
Madonna, the twice-divorced pop star whose romantic entanglements are often in the news, served as a relationship guru in an appearance on the reality TV programme “The Marriage Ref”.
Pope’s brother admits hitting pupils
The brother of Pope Benedict said in an interview today he slapped pupils in the face at a German school where he led the choir, but had been unaware of the brutality of discipline there.
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EU denies Greece bailout deal
The euro zone has not agreed a deal on financial support for heavily indebted Greece, but technical work is continuing and the Commission stands ready to act if need be, a spokesman said today.
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US police stop ‘runaway’ Prius
A US police officer helped slow a runaway Toyota Prius from 150km/h (94mph) to a safe stop on yesterday after the car’s accelerator became stuck on a freeway outside San Diego.
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Bodies buried after Nigeria clashes
US-based Human Rights Watch has urged Nigeria to prosecute those behind what it called a massacre of at least 200 Christian villagers and end a cycle of impunity which has allowed instability to persist.
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