Thousands protest across Russia
 Police in Moscow broke up a rally by a radical left party |
Thousands of people have held rallies across Russia protesting against what they describe as the government's mismanagement of the economy.
The biggest demonstration took place in the eastern city of Vladivostok, where protesters demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
In the capital Moscow, police arrested a number of people at an unauthorised gathering by a radical party.
Meanwhile, government supporters also held their rallies across the country.
Anti-government protests were unthinkable just a few months ago as the economy boomed with record high oil prices and as the Kremlin tightened its grip over almost all aspects of society, the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says.
But now with the economy in deep trouble, there is real fear amongst ordinary people about what the future will hold, he says.
He adds that unemployment is rising rapidly, as are the prices of basic food and utilities.
Putin's 'policy bankruptcy'
In Vladivostok, the anti-government demonstration was called by the Communist Party.
 "We can't live like this!" chanted protesters in Vladivostok |
"The crisis is in the heads of the authorities, not in the economy!" chanted protesters.
The protest was joined by a local group angered by higher tariffs imposed on cars imported to the city.
The region has thrived on the car import business and the government's decision has led to job losses, correspondents say.
In Moscow, police detained a number of members of the radical National Bolshevik Party, including its leader Eduard Limonov.
Separately, our correspondent says he witnessed a small group of supporters of former world chess champion Gary Kasparov - who is now an opposition figure - being attacked by unknown masked men before later being arrested by police.
Earlier, about 1,000 supporters of the Communist Party were allowed by the authorities to hold their demonstration in the capital.
Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said the economic crisis had exposed the bankruptcy of Mr Putin's policies.
Friday, January 30, 2009
US 'actively seeks' Mid-East deal
US 'actively seeks' Mid-East deal
 George Mitchell visited a UN warehouse full of aid bound for Gaza |
The US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has said Washington is committed to "actively and aggressively" seeking lasting peace.
He announced that President Barack Obama had directed him to spend $20.3m (
Nail-bomber given life sentence
Nail-bomber given life sentence
 Nicky Reilly suffered facial injuries in the failed attack |
A Muslim convert has been jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 18 years after launching a failed suicide bomb attack on a restaurant in Devon.
Nicky Reilly, 22, was the only person injured when he accidentally set off his home-made nail-bomb in a toilet of Exeter's Giraffe restaurant last May.
He later admitted attempted murder and preparing an act of terrorism.
Police believe the Plymouth man, who has learning difficulties, was "preyed upon and radicalised" by others.
Reilly admitted the charges last October, but sentencing was delayed to allow doctors to assess his mental state.
He has learning difficulties and Asperger's syndrome, and is thought to have a mental age of 10.
Devon and Cornwall Police said Reilly had been "preyed on, radicalised and taken advantage of".
Officers have travelled to Pakistan in their search for two unidentified people who encouraged Reilly after contacting him via an extremist website.
Before sentencing on Friday, Reilly's mother Kim told BBC News that her son was "very sorry and very remorseful".
"He's sorry to the people of Exeter and those in the cafe that day."
She said that Reilly was "very anxious and very nervous" ahead of sentencing.
Whatever punishment he received, "that's something he's going to have to come to terms with and all I can do is support him through that", Kim Reilly said.
Suicide note
Prior to his failed suicide bombing, Reilly left a note saying: "I have not been brainwashed or indoctrinated. I am not insane."
Reilly claimed he was simply doing "what God wants from his mujahideen".
"Everywhere Muslims are suffering at the hands of Britain, Israel and America. We are sick of taking all the brutality from you," he wrote.
The note attacked drunkenness and sexual immorality as "unacceptable to Allah and the true religion Islam".
Reilly had been preparing to detonate the bombs, based in glass bottles and containing about 500 nails, when one exploded in his hands.
Dozens of customers and staff fled the restaurant in panic, but no-one else was injured.
Defence barrister Kerim Fuad described his client as the least sophisticated person to have been charged with terrorism.
Reilly had converted to Islam between 2002 and 2003, later changing his name to Mohammad Rashid Saeed Alim.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Turkish PM storms off in Gaza row
Turkish PM storms off in Gaza row
 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of the debate |
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stormed off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos after an argument with Israel's president.
Mr Erdogan clashed with Shimon Peres in a discussion on the recent fighting in the Gaza Strip, telling him: "You are killing people."
Mr Peres said Mr Erdogan would have done the same had rockets hit Istanbul.
Mr Erdogan accused the moderator of not allowing him to speak and said he did not think he would return to Davos.
He was cut off as he attempted to reply to a passionate defence of Israel's actions made by Mr Peres.
Turkey is one of the few Muslim countries to have dealings with Israel, but relations have been under strain since the Islamist-rooted AK Party was elected to power in 2002.
"I do not think I will be coming back to Davos after this because you do not let me speak," Mr Erdogan shouted before marching off the stage in front of Mr Peres, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and an elite audience of ministers and international officials.
He criticised the moderator for cutting him short on the grounds that the debate had gone over time.
Mr Peres had told the audience Israel was forced on to the offensive against Hamas by thousands of rockets and mortars fired into Israel.
"The tragedy of Gaza is not Israel, it is Hamas," the Israeli leader said. "They created a dictatorship. A very dangerous one."
More than 1,300 Palestinians and 14 Israelis were killed during the three-week conflict which began on 27 December.
Huge crowds join French strikes
Huge crowds join French strikes
Strikers march along the streets of Paris
Huge crowds have taken to the streets in France to protest over the handling of the economic crisis, causing disruption to rail and air services.
The head of France's biggest union said a million workers had rallied to demand action to protect jobs and wages.
But despite the show of public support, the strike appeared to be falling short of the paralysis forecast by unions.
Regional trains and those in and around Paris were hit, and a third of flights from Orly airport were cancelled.
Forty per cent of regional services were running, train operator SNCF said, and 60% of high-speed TGV services. Three-quarters of metro trains were running in Paris.
Paris's second airport was heavily hit by the strike, but flights out of the larger Charles de Gaulle hub were experiencing only short delays, AFP news agency said.
 |   |
Schools, banks, hospitals, post offices and courts were also hit as workers stayed at home. Officials said just over a third of teachers and a quarter of postal and power company workers were on strike.
Overall, some 23% of the country's public sector workers are thought to have joined the action, which was called by eight major French unions.
Bernard Thibault, head of the CGT union, told AFP more than a million workers had joined the action, making it impossible for French President Nicolas Sarkozy to ignore their concerns.
In Paris, tens of thousands of protesters have set off from the Place de la Bastille on a march towards the centre of the city.
Earlier, some 25,000 to 30,000 people rallied in the city of Lyon, according to organisers and police.
|  Striking is... the national sport, a selfish and narrow-minded way of dealing with just about any disagreement  Brigitte Cavanagh, Paris |
In Marseille, organisers and the authorities disagreed, with the former putting the number of demonstrators at 300,000 but the police estimating 20,000 had taken part.
The protests are against the worsening economic climate in France and at what people believe to be the government's poor handling of the crisis.
According to a 25 January poll by CSA-Opinion for Le Parisien, 69% of the French public backs the strike.
"I'm tired and frozen after waiting half-an-hour on the platform," commuter Sandrine Dermont told AFP as she arrived by train in Paris.
"But I'm prepared to accept that when it's a movement to defend our spending power and jobs. I'll join the street protests during my lunch break," she said.
Hit hard
Last summer, Mr Sarkozy boasted that these days when there is a strike in France, nobody notices, says the BBC's Emma-Jane Kirby in Paris.
But this time, our correspondent adds, the strike will hit hard.
Many people are angry French banks were given a multi-billion euro bail-out while floundering industries and businesses were offered far less help.
Commuters at St Lazare station in Paris
With unemployment looking likely to hit 10% by next year, the French are now looking for assurances from their president that he will drop his programme of cost cutting reforms and instead turn his attention to relaunching the ailing economy, our correspondent says.
"We want to show how the people are dissatisfied with the situation at the moment," Thierry Dedieu of the CFDT general workers' union told the BBC.
People had the feeling they were paying for a crisis they were not responsible for, he added.
But earlier in the week, French Finance Minister Eric Woerth condemned the strike organisers, accusing them of scare-mongering during a time of economic uncertainty.
"There are other ways to make oneself heard than striking," he said.
"Blocking a country, preventing transport from working, bothering people when they are still extraordinarily worried and fearful of the future, is adding fear on top of fear, worry on top of worry."
Will you be taking part in the strike? Will you be affected by this action? Send us your comments using the form below:
You can also send your pictures or video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, text them to +44 7725 100 100 or you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.
Iraq ends licence for Blackwater
Iraq ends licence for Blackwater
 The incident in Baghdad in September 2007 caused anger across Iraq |
Iraq will not renew the licence of US security firm Blackwater, which was involved in an 2007 incident in which at least 14 civilians were killed.
An interior ministry spokesman said the US embassy had been told it will have to use another security company.
Five former Blackwater guards have gone on trial in the United States over the killings in Baghdad.
They have pleaded not guilty to killing 14 Iraqi civilians and wounding 18 others by gunfire and grenades.
"The contract is finished and will be not be renewed by order of the minister of the interior," said interior ministry spokesman Maj Gen Abdel Karim Khalaf.
He said the decision had been sent to the US embassy in Baghdad and "they have to find a new security company".
He added that the decision had been prompted by the incident on 16 September 2007.
Opened fire
The killings took place when Blackwater guards opened fire in Nisoor Square, Baghdad, while escorting an American diplomatic convoy.
The firm says its guards were acting in self-defence but witnesses and relatives of those killed maintain that the shooting was unprovoked.
Children were among the victims.
The killings strained Iraq-US relations and raised questions about the oversight of US contractors operating in war zones.
After the incident, the Iraqi government pressed Washington to withdraw Blackwater from the country, but the security firm's contract was renewed in 2008.
A new US-Iraqi security agreement gives Baghdad the authority to determine which Western security companies operate in the country.
A US embassy official confirmed it had received the Iraqi decision, and said US officials were working with the Iraqi government and its contractors to address the "implications of this decision".
Wounded S Lanka civilians rescued
Wounded S Lanka civilians rescued
 Children are among injured civilians in the north |
The UN in Sri Lanka says one of its convoys has evacuated hundreds of civilians wounded in fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.
The convoy crossed the front line out of the battle zone during a brief pause in the fighting.
A UN spokesman said the injured, including 50 children, were being taken to a hospital in the town of Vavuniya.
The military say they are poised to defeat the rebels, who have been driven from their strongholds in recent weeks.
International agencies say hundreds of civilians have been killed in the fighting and a quarter of a million more are trapped.
Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapakse, told the BBC that the numbers are exaggerated, there are no civilian casualties and aid agencies are panicking.
'Critically wounded'
The United Nations convoy, which was trapped in the town of Puthukkudiyiruppu, succeeded in its second attempt in three days to evacuated the critically wounded civilians.
| INSURGENCY TIMELINE 1976: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam form in the north-east 1987: India deploys peace-keepers to Tamil areas but they leave in 1990 2002: Government and rebels agree ceasefire 2006: Heavy fighting resumes 2009: Army takes main rebel bases of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu |
UN spokesman Gordon Weiss said: "The convoy just crossed the front line [with] hundreds of the civilians wounded by the fighting, including 50 critically wounded children, who are being moved to a Ministry of Health hospital in Vavuniya."
The pro-rebel TamilNet website quoted a rebel spokesman, S Puleedevan, as denying reports in the Sri Lankan media that the rebels had initially prevented the convoy from leaving.
Mr Puleedevan described the reports as "mischievous".
"In fact, we have been repeatedly urging the International Red Cross [ICRC] to facilitate the unhindered transportation of injured civilians who need urgent attention and also for the provision of medical facilities locally," he said.
In the latest fighting, the army says that it has captured a key crossroads in the north.
Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said that troops had taken the Vishwamadu junction on Wednesday afternoon after heavy fighting.
The junction, near the village of Vishwamadu, lies along one of the few major roads remaining in rebel-held territory.
As the Tamil Tigers lose more and more ground the top health official in the war zone, Dr Thurairajah Varatharajah, told the AP news agency that about 250 civilians had been killed over the past week and at least 1,140 were wounded.
Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have expressed concern over the plight of civilians and have blamed both the government and the rebels.
"People displaced by the conflict are experiencing acute shortages of humanitarian aid, especially food, shelter and medical care. There has been no food convoy in the area since 16 January," said Yolanda Foster, Amnesty International's Sri Lanka researcher.
Human Rights Watch said civilians were "scrambling for shelter in an area that is under heavy artillery fire, including many children, wounded, and elderly who need urgent assistance".
'Exaggeration'
On Wednesday Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse denied that the fighting had led to a humanitarian crisis in the north.
 The army says it means to "eradicate" the Tamil rebels |
He told the BBC that he had a policy of "zero" civilian casualties and that the ICRC and UN were wrong about the situation in the north.
"I'm not saying they are lying but they are exaggerating," Mr Rajapakse said.
He also ruled out any ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, saying it would give the Tigers a chance to reorganise.
"The purpose of this offensive is to eradicate them."
The military say they are involved in a final push against retreating rebels.
Moving north from the captured rebel town of Mullaitivu, they are trying to secure the north-east coastline to encircle the rebels and say they hope to control the entire north within weeks.
| MAP OF THE REGION  |
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Liberia worm plague 'may worsen'
Liberia worm plague 'may worsen'
 The plague is Liberia's worst infestation of armyworm for three decades |
The UN has warned Liberia could soon face a second wave of crop-destroying army worms as the pests reproduce.
Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf declared a state of emergency this week and appealed for international aid to fight the insects.
Some 400,000 residents in 100 villages have been affected by tens of millions of the insects, the UN says.
The worms - which are actually caterpillars - are among the world's most destructive agricultural pests.
It is the West African country's worst infestation of army worm for three decades.
Both Liberia and neighbouring Guinea, which has also been affected, have been carrying out aerial spraying against the insects.
Sierra Leone, which is also at risk, has mobilised chemicals and personnel to its border with Liberia.
A Sierra Leonean expert, Ibrahim Shamie, said that the worst was yet to come.
"The second emergence will be devastating. We had the experience in Sierra Leone, in 1979, about 30 years ago," he told the AFP news agency.
"When the second emergence occurs, that will be the biggest population."
Adult moths
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) spokesman Winfred Hammond said Liberia's farming production was at serious risk if the pests - which are currently reaching the pupa stage - were not brought under control.
|  |
"Definitely we have a crisis on our hands," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
"At this stage they go into the soil, they are there for about seven to 12 days, before the adult moths will emerge."
These moths can reproduce quickly, laying up to 1,000 eggs within a week which grow into caterpillars within days, he said, launching an emergency appeal for $1.2m (
UN to back attack on Congo rebels
UN to back attack on Congo rebels
 Rwandan troops entered DR Congo last week |
The UN mission to DR Congo (Monuc) says it will provide support to the Congo-Rwanda operation against the Hutu FDLR rebels in the east of the country.
"Our priority is to protect civilians and Monuc cannot stay on the sidelines of this operation," said mission spokesman Lt Col Jean-Paul Dietrich.
Rwandan troops entered DR Congo last week and arrested Congolese Tutsi rebel leader Laurent Nkunda.
The joint operation is now turning its attention to attacking the Hutu rebels.
Their presence in eastern DR Congo has been a key factor in more than a decade of instability in the region.
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is a largely ethnic Hutu militia, some of whose leaders are accused of involvement in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.
Rwanda twice invaded DR Congo, saying it was pursuing the Hutu forces.
Gen Nkunda always said his own rebellion was necessary to protect his Congolese Tutsi community from the FDLR.
The UN mission said on Wednesday it would provide logistical and medical support to the operation against the FDLR.
Members of Gen Nkunda's insurgent militia, the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), are joining the Congolese army following a split.
Monuc said the former CNDP rebels would be integrated into the Congolese army within a week, so they can help with the offensive against the FDLR.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Rwanda puts down Nkunda dissent
Rwanda puts down Nkunda dissent
 General Laurent Nkunda was a staunch ally of Rwanda |
Security has been tightened at refugee camps in Rwanda after protests calling for rebel Laurent Nkunda's release.
Gen Nkunda, who claimed his fighters were protecting the Tutsi community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was arrested by Rwanda last week.
A joint force of Rwandan police and soldiers put down the protests mainly by Congolese Tutsis, on Sunday - reportedly using live bullets.
Correspondents says demonstrations against the government are very rare.
A Tutsi like Rwanda's leaders, Gen Nkunda had guarded Rwanda's western flank against attacks from ethnic Hutu Interahamwe militias who fled there after the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
| Nkunda's our only hope for any return to DR Congo Congolese refugee in Rwanda |
DR Congo has allowed at least 6,000 Rwandan soldiers into its eastern region to help Congolese soldiers disarm the Hutu militia.
Rwanda, which hosts more than 50,000 Congolese refugees, has not yet said whether it will hand over its former ally to DR Congo, where he faces war crimes charges.
'Fighting for peace'
Thousands of Congolese refugees across Rwanda's two main camps - Kiziba in the south, and Gihembe in the north - took to the camps' street on Sunday in a co-ordinated protest.
They called the arrest of General Nkunda "illegal", and expressed their anger at they way he was reportedly trapped and arrested.
 |
But a joint force of Rwanda police and army dispersed the protesters and many were injured in the skirmishes that followed.
"We could not go on with the demonstration as planned as the police and army stopped us," one man in Gihembe camp, which houses about 20,000 refugees, told the BBC.
"What we want is that Nkunda is released so that he goes back to DR Congo to continue fighting against the Interahamwe for he's our only hope for any return to DR Congo," he said.
"Nkunda was fighting for peace and we cannot understand why he was arrested."
In Kiziba camp, refugees claim that the army and police used live bullets and sticks to break up the demonstration.
One woman who was injured in the fracas said they were protesting peacefully when they were surrounded by police.
"They started beating us but we were not deterred by the beatings, for the anger we felt was more than the sticks' pain," she told the BBC's Great Lakes service.
"Shortly afterwards, they were joined by the army and started arresting young men among us. We tried to resist this and this is when they started shooting - that is how I got shot," she said.
The Rwandan authorities have not commented officially about the protests or commented on allegations that they were heavy handed in their attempt to quash them.
A refugee speaking to the BBC on Tuesday from Gihembe says the military have set up tents around the camp and intend to prevent further demonstrations.
Some 250,000 people have fled their homes in DR Congo's North Kivu province since August 2008, when Gen Nkunda began an offensive on the regional capital, Goma.
Human rights group have accused Gen Nkunda's rebel group - and also government forces - of numerous killings, rapes and torture.
Two killed in new Gaza violence
Two killed in new Gaza violence
 Israeli TV showed injured soldiers being taken to a hospital |
An Israeli soldier has been killed and three others injured in an attack on their patrol near the border with Gaza.
The Israeli military said a mine was detonated in the path of the patrol.
Israeli troops crossed into Gaza as helicopters hovered overhead firing machine guns. One Palestinian has been killed, Gaza medics said.
The Israeli death is the first since Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Israel declared ceasefires after a three-week Israeli offensive against Gaza.
No Palestinian militant group has said it carried out the attack.
Palestinian residents of Kissufim, the border crossing into Gaza near where the blast hit the Israeli patrol, said they could hear Israeli helicopters circling overhead and the sound of heavy gunfire.
Israeli troops crossed into Gaza looking for the militants who carried out the attack, Israeli defence officials said.
Medics in Gaza said the Palestinian killed was a farmer hit by gunfire.
Israel has closed the border crossings into Gaza because of the the attack on the patrol, Israeli officials said, stopping the flow of aid supplies to Gaza's 1.5 million residents.
Ceasefire negotiations
Israel and Hamas declared separate ceasefires on 17 and 18 January, ending a three-week Israeli offensive in which nearly 1,300 Palestinians and 10 Israeli soldiers were killed. Three Israeli civilians were killed by rocket fire from Gaza in the same period.
Israel said its objective was to stop militant rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza.
Egyptian mediators have been meeting separately with Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, to negotiate a more permanent ceasefire.
US President Barack Obama has sent his newly-appointed Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, to the region to discuss the ceasefire efforts.
Hamas wants the border crossings into Gaza re-opened, including the Rafah crossing into Egypt, to end the Israeli blockade which has strangled the territory's economy.
Israel wants to stop the rocket fire and prevent Hamas militants from re-arming via smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt.
Roddick through as Djokovic quits
Roddick through as Djokovic quits
| By Pies Newbery |
 Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title in Australia last year |
Andy Roddick reached the Australian Open semi-finals after defending champion Novak Djokovic retired in the fourth set of their quarter-final.
The American, seeded seventh, was leading 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-2 2-1 when his opponent pulled out.
Djokovic suffered physically throughout a desperately hot afternoon, taking a medical timeout in the third set.
Roddick will next face the winner of Tuesday's late match between Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro.
The first of the men's quarter-finals was dominated by heavy serving in the first set, with a tie-break required after neither player forced a break point.
It was Djokovic who dominated the breaker, backing up his serve with some heavy forehands to race 4-0 clear and eventually take it 7-3.
| 606: DEBATE |
The American then forced another break point two games later but his failure to convert made little difference as he served out the set in game 10.
As Roddick got stronger so Djokovic started to struggle physically, hitting two double faults and then setting up Roddick for a forehand pass to drop serve at the start of the third.
The Serb did well to break back immediately and then save another two break points in game three as suddenly both men looked vulnerable on serve.
Having edged ahead at 2-1, Djokovic called for a medical timeout and received treatment to his right leg which he told the doctor was hindering his service action.
That looked to be the case in the champion's next two service games as he made several listless errors to fall a break behind, and then double-faulted to give up the double break.
Roddick served out the set and, having saved four break points at the start of the fourth set, Djokovic approached the umpire and brought the match to an end after he was broken to love in game three.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Oprah 'considered for Obama seat'
Oprah 'considered for Obama seat'
 Mr Blagojevich said Ms Winfrey would probably not have accepted the offer |
Scandal-hit US Governor Rod Blagojevich has said he considered offering the Illinois senate seat vacated by Barack Obama to talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
Mr Blagojevich is facing an impeachment trial in the state senate over claims he tried to "sell" the seat.
He told ABC that Ms Winfrey, one of America's wealthiest women, would have been unlikely to accept.
Mr Blagojevich says he is innocent and that the trial, which he is not expected to attend, has been rigged.
He told ABC's Good Morning America that Ms Winfrey "seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way become president".
"She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators," he said.
But he said Ms Winfrey "probably wouldn't take it" and that it would have been hard to offer the seat to her in a way that "didn't look like it was some gimmick and embarrass her".
Mr Blagojevich's eventual choice for the seat, Illinois attorney general Roland Burris, took office in January after initially being blocked by senators.
Under the 17th amendment of the US constitution, state governors have the power to appoint temporary replacements for senators who resign, die or are expelled, until special elections can be held.
Crisis claims Icelandic cabinet
Crisis claims Icelandic cabinet
 Prime Minister Geir Haarde had called early elections for May |
Iceland's coalition government has collapsed as a result of an escalating economic crisis.
Prime Minister Geir Haarde announced the immediate resignation of his cabinet, after talks with coalition partners broke down.
Iceland's financial system collapsed in October under the weight of debt built up during years of rapid growth.
The currency has since plummeted, with unemployment soaring. The economy is forecast to shrink by 9.6% this year.
In a series of protests, demonstrators have accused the government of leading the country to ruin.
Mr Haarde told reporters on Monday: "I really regret that we could not continue with this coalition. I believe that that would have been the best result."
The coalition between Mr Haarde's Independence Party and Foreign Minister Ingibjorg Gisladottir's Social Democratic Alliance had been under strain for the past three months.
The prime minister said he would speak to Iceland's president to formally dissolve the government.
Last week Mr Haarde called an early general election for 9 May, adding that he would not stand for health reasons.
The Social Democratic Alliance is now expected to look for new coalition partners to form a government until the election.
Parties see in Chinese New Year
Parties see in Chinese New Year
Millions of Chinese people around world are celebrating the start of Lunar New Year, the most important festival in the Chinese calendar.
In many homes and towns, the Year of the Ox was greeted in traditional style with firecrackers, parties, feasts and incense offerings at temples.
But correspondents say the mood this year was subdued, with many people expressing concern about the economy.
Vietnam is also celebrating its New Year festival - known as Tet.
The BBC's Michael Bristow, in Beijing, says many people in the Chinese capital braved bitterly cold weather to light incense sticks at temples and pray for a prosperous year to come.
He says the police cordoned off roads around the most popular temples, where beggars traditionally gather to benefit from people's new-year generosity.
|  |
Reflecting widespread concern about the state of the economy, 55-year-old Beijing resident Liu Tieying told the BBC he felt the economy would be a major problem in the coming year.
But he sounded an optimistic note for China, saying he believed the situation would be worse in other countries.
The BBC's Jill McGivering says the Year of the Ox is traditionally associated with calm, fortitude and success through toil.
But she says China has already seen an outbreak of protests and rioting associated with job losses and factory closures - so one of the biggest challenges for the Communist Party will be to maintain public order and confidence in the year to come.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency announced on Monday that the government is to help train as many as one million jobless college graduates over the next three years.
Graduates will also be offered small loans to help them start their own businesses.
Analysts say the moves show the government's increasing concern with rising unemployment.
China's top politicians made high-profile trips over the Lunar New Year holiday.
State television broadcast images of Chinese President Hu Jintao smiling as a baby kissed his cheek on a visit to Jinggangshan, a former base for the communists during the Chinese civil war.
In a speech, he promised more "equal development across society".
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited survivors of last May's earthquake which devastated large parts of Sichuan province.
Chinese people in cities across the world are also marking the festival - with lanterns, incense, lion dances and firecrackers lighting up places as far apart as London, Jakarta and Vancouver.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Vietnam ferry accident 'kills 40'
Vietnam ferry accident 'kills 40'
 Officials said many of those who drowned were women and children |
A crowded ferry has sunk on a river in central Vietnam, killing at least 40 people, officials have said.
The vessel sank in strong currents about 20m (65ft) from the bank of the Gianh river in central Quang Binh province, south of the city of Vinh.
So far, 35 people have been rescued and at least five people are still missing.
Quang Binh police chief Phan Thanh Ha told the Associated Press the ferry had been loaded with 80 passengers, even though it had a capacity of only 12.
 |
One of the survivors, Cao Thi Huong, told the VnExpress website that the accident happened when passengers stood up in a rush to get off the boat as it approached a pier at about 0800 (0100 GMT).
Officials said many of those who drowned were women and children.
They had been crossing the river from the village of Quang Hai to go shopping ahead of the start of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The boat's captain and owner have been detained for questioning.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Vatican attacks US abortion move
Vatican attacks US abortion move
 Mr Obama lifted the controversial funding ban in his first week in office |
The Vatican has condemned President Obama's move to restore US funding for family planning clinics abroad that give advice on or carry out abortions.
One Vatican official warned against the "arrogance" of those in power who think they can decide between life and death.
Another official said it dealt a blow to groups fighting against "the slaughter of the innocents".
The White House says the move aligns the US with other nations fighting poverty and promoting health care.
On Friday, Mr Obama ended a ban on giving US federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information about them.
Robust language
In an interview published in an Italian newspaper on Saturday, senior Vatican official Monsignor Rino Fisichella urged Mr Obama to listen to all voices in America without "the arrogance of those who, being in power, believe they can decide of life and death."
"If this is one of President Obama's first acts, I have to say, in all due respect, that we're heading quickly toward disappointment," Mr Fisichella, who heads the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life, told the Corriere della Sera.
Another Academy official, Monsignor Elio Sgreccia, said it had dealt a harsh blow to US Catholics and people across the world who are fighting against "the slaughter of the innocents".
The criticism from the Vatican adds to concerns from evangelical Protestant groups that the US decision could presage a wider dismantling of the legal limits of abortion.
Critics of the former funding ban had long argued that it hurt some of the poorest people in the world by denying money to groups that might support abortion, but also work on other aspects of reproductive health care or HIV/Aids.
The ban was first introduced in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. It was rescinded by President Bill Clinton, before being reinstated by President George W Bush in 2001.
Pressure still on BBC in Gaza row
Pressure still on BBC in Gaza row
 Israel has lifted a ban on UN and foreign aid workers entering Gaza |
The BBC is under pressure to air a charity appeal for aid to Gaza after other channels agreed to broadcast it.
Director general Mark Thompson has said by airing the appeal the BBC would risk reducing public confidence in its impartial coverage of the conflict.
But Communities Secretary Hazel Blears urged a review of the decision as 2,000 protested at the BBC's London HQ.
BBC Trust chairman Michael Lyons voiced concerns over political interference in the BBC's editorial independence.
Earlier, rival broadcasters ITV, Channel 4 and Five agreed to broadcast the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal. It will be screened for the first time on Monday.
'Objective coverage'
In a blog message on the BBC website explaining the decision, Mark Thompson said: "Inevitably an appeal would use pictures which are the same or similar to those we would be using in our news programmes but would do so with the objective of encouraging public donations.
"The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story."
| When we have turned down DEC appeals in the past on impartiality grounds it has been because of this risk of giving the public the impression that the BBC was taking sides in an ongoing conflict BBC director general Mark Thompson |
He stressed the corporation would "continue to cover the human side of the conflict in Gaza extensively across our news services where we can place all of the issues in context in an objective and balanced way".
Earlier on Saturday, police said at least 2,000 protesters gathered outside the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London, and chants of "BBC, shame on you" were heard as a petition was handed in to the corporation.
There were seven arrests at the rally - five people were arrested on suspicion of obstructing police at the Piccadilly Circus junction with Regent Street.
One person was arrested on suspicion of assault of police outside St Martin's in the Field, Trafalgar Sqaure, while another was arrested on suspicion of possession of class A drugs.
Veteran politician Tony Benn, a speaker at the protest, said: "We can't ignore suffering in the interests of what the BBC call impartiality.
| Disasters Emergency Committee Gaza humanitarian appeal: Launched by UK charities on 22 January to raise money for Gaza aid relief and reconstruction Participants: Action Aid, British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund, World Vision Information on 0370 60 60 900 or at DEC website |
Earlier, ITV and Sky had been in agreement with the BBC that they would not air the appeal. But ITV later reversed its decision.
Sky says it is still considering the Disasters Emergency Committee's request.
The DEC - an umbrella organisation for several major aid charities - wants to raise funds for people in need of food, shelter and medicines as a result of Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip.
Previous DEC appeals shown on multiple TV and radio channels have raised millions of pounds for victims of wars and natural disasters.
'Human suffering'
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the British public could "distinguish between support for humanitarian aid and perceived partiality in a conflict".
"I really struggle to see in the face of the immense human suffering of people in Gaza... that this is in any way a credible argument," he added.
Tony Benn on the decision by the BBC not to broadcast the appeal
"They [the BBC] still have time to make a different judgement to recognise the immense human suffering."
Shadow international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said it was "clearly a decision for the BBC and other broadcasters " whether they showed the appeal.
But the Conservatives believed it should be played to allow the public to make up their own minds about the appeal, he said.
Liberal Democrat media spokesman Don Foster said the BBC's "disgraceful" decision must be reversed.
"It is unbelievable that the BBC claims to know better than either the government or the 12 major charities that form the DEC about whether aid can get through," he added.
In a letter to the BBC director general on Saturday, BBC Trust chairman Michael Lyons expressed concern that the "level and tone" of some of the political comment was "coming close to constituting undue interference in the editorial independence of the BBC".
He assured Mr Thompson the Trust would "do everything in our power to ensure that you are given the space to make the editorial decisions you feel, after due consideration, are right in the circumstances".
BBC's chief operating officer Caroline Thomson defends the veto
BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said the corporation was facing "quite a lot of pressure", but its position had been shored up "a little bit" by the Trust's move.
"In other words - a warning to government to say, 'Keep your tanks off our lawn,'" our correspondent said.
Geoffrey Dennis, chief executive of the global humanitarian group Care International, said it was not a time for politics.
"As far as being impartial is concerned, that's our job... we know exactly what we are doing on the ground, there are a lot of people in real danger at the moment."