National / International News

UK aerospace company BAE Systems reports a fall in full-year profits, blaming delays over a major contract with Saudi Arabia and weak global demand.

Dubai police have denied allegations they tortured three Britons awaiting trial on drugs charges, Dubai's National Media Council has said.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the looming automatic spending cuts will damage U.S. national security. But the warnings don't appear to be moving the needle with lawmakers or the American public.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Economists dream big: open borders, visa auctions or preferential access for high-skilled workers.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Gambling and alcohol addiction share greater similarities than previously realised, a new report claims.

Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte is charged with drafting the House immigration bill. He is against a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants but says the "broken" system needs work. And he says President Obama "should calm down, back off and let the Congress do its work."

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Eddie the otter is 15 years old and suffers from arthritis in his elbow so his keeper has come up with a novel way for him to improve movement in his joints - basketball.

Officials predict that cutbacks at the FAA could lead to takeoff delays and fewer flights. Unless Congress acts, across-the-board spending cuts are scheduled to take effect March 1.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Secret menus aren't new, but more restaurants are trying them out in order to set themselves apart and increase sales. Panera Bread, for instance, has rolled out a new secret menu with low-carb, health-conscious options to appeal to a new group of customers.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

More than 60,000 people have died in Mexico's war on drugs over the past six years. But that statistic tells only part of the story. Human-rights groups say thousands more, as many as 25,000 people, have vanished — many at the hands of Mexico's security forces.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

British scientists exploring the ocean floor in the Caribbean have discovered an "astounding" set of hydrothermal vents, the deepest anywhere in the world.

The public sector cannot prove it is getting value for money from the £133m it spends on external consultants, a Welsh spending watchdog warns.

The electronics giant Sony has unveiled its brand new gaming console, the PlayStation 4, in New York.

What are the coaching team that rebuilt England thinking on game day? Stuart Lancaster and co open up to chief sports writer Tom Fordyce

Papers focus on jobs for UK workers

Sony announces the fourth generation of its PlayStation games console featuring a new controller and a "supercharged" processor.

Anti-whaling groups are claiming victory after the Japanese whaling fleet suspended its annual hunt in the Southern Ocean.

African charities condemn satellite TV programmes filmed in London that encourage viewers to believe they have been cured of life-threatening illnesses through the "miracle" power of prayer.

The bail hearing for South African paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, accused of murdering his girlfriend, is due to enter its third day.

Japan hangs three death-row inmates, in the first executions under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.