December 25, 2011
Pope Benedict XVI attacks Christmas consumerism at Mass
Pope Benedict XVI has attacked the commercialisation of Christmas as he held the…
December 25, 2011
Moscow protest: Thousands rally against Vladimir Putin
Tens of thousands of people have rallied in central Moscow in a show of anger at alleged electoral fraud. They passed a resolution "not to give a single vote to (PM) Vladimir Putin" at next year's presidential elections. Protest leader Alexei…
December 25, 2011
Sudan army ‘kills’ key Darfur rebel Khalil Ibrahim
It says Khalil Ibrahim was killed in fighting in the Wad Banda area in North Kordofan. The claim has not been independently verified. Khalil Ibrahim is known as the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement in conflict-torn Darfur. Earlier this…
December 25, 2011
Queen visits Prince Philip in hospital
Prince Philip has spent a second night in hospital after undergoing a procedure on his heart. The 90-year-old Duke of Edinburgh had a coronary stent fitted after he was taken to hospital on Friday suffering chest pains. The BBC's Royal Correspondent…
December 25, 2011
Nigeria conflict: Boko Haram sect battles kill scores
Nearly 70 people have died in days of fighting between Nigerian forces and suspected Islamist gunmen in the country's north-east, officials say. More than 50 Boko Haram militants were killed in a lengthy gun-battle in the town of Damaturu, said army…
December 25, 2011
Protesters take to Moscow streets, calling for fair elections
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets Saturday in Moscow, braving bitterly cold weather to demand fair elections after what they claim were rigged results earlier this month that returned Vladimir Putin's party to power. The protest,…
December 24, 2011
Britain’s Prince Philip Treated for Blocked Coronary Artery
The husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, has undergone surgery to treat a blocked artery in his heart that Buckingham Palace said had caused him chest pains. A palace spokeswoman said the prince had undergone a “minimally invasive…
December 24, 2011
Arrest Warrant Isssued for Head of French Breast Implant Firm
The head of a now-defunct French breast implant company is being sought by authorities in Costa Rica for what are described as “life and death” offenses. Jean-Claude Mas is founder of Poly Implant Prothese , a firm that was shut down last year after…
December 24, 2011
Environmental Group Says Nigerian Oil Spill Stretches 900 Square Kilometers
An environmental group says an oil spill off the coast of Nigeria this past week could stretch across more than 900 square kilometers of ocean. The U.S.-based group, SkyTruth, says it estimates from satellite images it has obtained that the slick is…
December 23, 2011
Philippines floods: More than 1,000 remain missing
The Philippines government says 1,079 people are still missing in the wake of the devastating Typhoon Washi. More than 1,000 others are known to have died in the storm, which struck Mindanao island on Saturday. Entire neighbourhoods in Cagayan de…