Feb 6, 2013

BBC News - Home

BBC News - Home

Plan to scrap GCSEs 'abandoned'

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:09 PM PST

Plans to scrap GCSEs in key subjects in England and replace them with an English Baccalaureate Certificate seem set to be abandoned by ministers.

Five hospitals to be investigated

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:20 PM PST

Five other hospitals are to be investigated over their high death rates in the wake of the public inquiry into failings at Stafford Hospital.

Australia sport doping 'widespread'

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:35 PM PST

A year-long inquiry finds widespread use of banned drugs in Australian sport, with links to organised crime and possible match-fixing.

Irish government 'to liquidate bank'

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:44 PM PST

Failed bank IBRC, formerly Anglo Irish, is set to be liquidated as part of a deal to ease the Irish government's huge debt burden.

Heavy fighting hits Syrian capital

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:32 PM PST

Fierce fighting breaks out between rebels and pro-government troops in the Syrian capital, as bombings hit a central town and peace talk hopes fade.

Tunisia PM forms new government

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:16 PM PST

Tunisia is to form a non-partisan government to run the country until elections, the PM says, hours after a leading opposition figure is assassinated.

Twitter's Vine gets adult rating

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:05 AM PST

Twitter's Vine app shifts up to a 17+ age rating on Apple's iOS store after complaints that some of its video clips are pornographic in nature.

Probe into starving pensioner death

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:35 AM PST

The death of a woman who was left at home without medication, food, or water for nine days is being investigated by police.

News Corporation profit doubles

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:29 PM PST

News Corporation has reported a more-than-doubling in profits to $2.38bn, but spent another $56m to cover costs related to the defunct News of the World.

Priest arrested in 'abuse' probe

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:39 PM PST

A Catholic priest is one of two people arrested over alleged abuse at a London guest house during the early 1980s, his diocese says.

US expands sanctions against Iran

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:49 PM PST

The US tightens existing sanctions on Iran - targeting oil revenue and media - over its alleged nuclear weapons programme.

Elephant poaching 'out of control'

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:46 AM PST

More than 11,000 elephants have been killed by ivory poachers in Gabon since 2004 according to new research

UK 'can cope with solar superstorm'

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:17 PM PST

If a solar superstorm struck the Earth, the effects on the UK would be "challenging but not cataclysmic", says a report from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Cat replaces iron in Monopoly game

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:27 AM PST

Fans of Monopoly vote to replace the iron with a new cat in the popular property trading game.

RBS fined £390m over Libor scandal

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 07:50 AM PST

Royal Bank of Scotland is fined £390m ($610m) by UK and US authorities for its part in the Libor rate-fixing scandal.

Dreamliner probe result 'weeks away'

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:15 PM PST

A US regulator says it may take "weeks" for it to complete its probe into battery problems that hit two of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner planes.

PM proud same-sex love to be equal

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:11 AM PST

David Cameron says he is proud the love of a same-sex couple will now "count the same" as that of a heterosexual couple.

Date set for Eastleigh by-election

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:46 AM PST

The by-election in Eastleigh to replace former cabinet minister Chris Huhne will be held on 28 February, the Liberal Democrats say.

Older motorcyclist injury warning

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:25 PM PST

Motorcyclists over the age of 60 are three times more likely to end up in hospital after a crash than younger bikers, a US study suggests.

'Rigour' in national curriculum call

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:25 AM PST

An "outdated" measure of educational achievement, focused on a narrow group of academic subjects, is being pushed by the government, Labour has claimed.

Chinese are 'still hacking' WSJ

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:04 AM PST

Rupert Murdoch tweets that the Wall Street Journal newspaper is still being attacked by Chinese hackers.

Thousands of PCs internet access cut

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:22 AM PST

Thousands of computers running Microsoft's Windows XP operating system are unable to connect to the internet after installing an anti-virus update.

Earth-like planets just got closer

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:56 AM PST

Researchers find that 6% of red dwarf stars host habitable, Earth-sized planets - meaning the closest may be just 13 light-years away.

MEPs back major EU fishing reform

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 07:02 AM PST

The European Parliament approves a major reform of fishing to end the wasteful discarding of dead fish and help depleted stocks to recover.

Kraftwerk begin Tate Modern shows

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:55 PM PST

German electro pioneers, Kraftwerk have played the first of their eagerly-anticipated series of eight shows at the Tate Modern.

Make-up artist Stuart Freeborn dies

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:41 PM PST

Stuart Freeborn, the British make-up artist renowned for his contributions to 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Star Wars films, has died at the age of 98, a family friend confirms.

Would you stay with complete strangers?

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:43 AM PST

Airbnb has been accused of running "illegal hotels". But why are people willing to open their doors to strangers, or to stay with them?

How do you reconstruct a face from just a skull?

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:23 AM PST

A facial reconstruction has been made from Richard III's skull. But how do they recreate a face from 500 year-old bones?

Wales 2-1 Austria

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:07 PM PST

Gareth Bale and Sam Vokes score as Wales beat Austria to give manager Chris Coleman his second win since taking charge.

Hamilton crashes car in testing

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:36 AM PST

Lewis Hamilton's first day of testing for Mercedes gets off to a bad start when he crashes after just 15 laps.

Scotland 1-0 Estonia

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:43 PM PST

Scotland get off to a winning start under their new manager Gordon Strachan by beating Estonia at Pittodrie

Burkina Faso 1-1 Ghana (aet, 3-2 pens)

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:29 PM PST

Burkina Faso reach their first Africa Cup of Nations final, beating Ghana on penalties in a controversial game in Nelspruit.

Shannon report not published in full

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:28 PM PST

A report into the case of abducted schoolgirl Shannon Matthews will not be published in full because it could put her and her siblings at risk.

Cash photo footballer quits Twitter

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:31 AM PST

Ipswich Town striker Michael Chopra closes his Twitter account after apparently posting a photo of a bag of cash.

Scots woman linked to canal killer

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:24 PM PST

Police are trying to trace a Scottish woman who they fear may be another victim of a man who murdered two women and threw their bodies in canals.

Drink price control 'cuts deaths'

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:52 PM PST

Health campaigners welcome research suggesting that a significant drop in alcohol-related deaths follows increases in the minimum price.

Asda withdraws NI frozen burgers

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:42 AM PST

The supermarket chain, Asda, withdraws four frozen burger products supplied by a Northern Ireland company as a precaution, in the wake of the horsemeat controversy.

No venue for police games ceremony

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:50 AM PST

Ravenhill, the home of Ulster rugby has been ruled out as the venue for the opening ceremony of the World Police and Fire Games.

MP Clwyd to advise on NHS complaints

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:09 PM PST

David Cameron asks a Welsh Labour MP - who protested about the care her late husband received in hospital - to look at how NHS hospitals handle complaints.

Banned teacher's child cancer lies

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:17 AM PST

A teacher who lied that a child was dying of cancer in order to get time off work is banned from the classroom for four years.

France seeks quick UN Mali handover

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 11:30 AM PST

The UN should begin planning for African-led forces in Mali to become a full peacekeeping mission, France tells the Security Council, as clashes continue.

Tanker seized off Ivory Coast freed

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:43 AM PST

A French-owned tanker seized by pirates off Ivory Coast on Sunday is freed and two crewmen are receiving medical treatment , the vessel's owner says.

Arrests over China baby's death

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 10:43 AM PST

Police in China detain two government workers after a baby was killed amid an altercation with a couple who had violated the one-child policy.

Two hurt in giant lizard attack

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:53 AM PST

Two men are injured in an attack by a komodo dragon in a wildlife park in eastern Indonesia, park officials say.

France action in Mali is 'real war'

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:31 AM PST

French forces are involved in a "real war" with "terrorists" around the Malian town of Gao, the defence minister says.

Mexico hunts Acapulco rape gang

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:29 AM PST

Mexican authorities say they are determined to catch a gang who raped six Spanish tourists in the holiday resort of Acapulco.

Farc calls for legal coca farming

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:24 PM PST

Colombia's Farc rebels present proposals on farming at peace talks with the government, among them legalising coca, poppy and marijuana plantations.

CIA drone base in Saudi revealed

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 09:29 AM PST

The US Central Intelligence Agency has been operating a secret airbase in Saudi Arabia for unmanned drones for the past two years, US media reveal.

Hezbollah fury at Bulgaria bomb link

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:40 AM PST

Hezbollah dismisses a Bulgarian report blaming it for a deadly 2012 bus bombing, saying it is facing an "international campaign" waged by Israel.

US Saturday letter deliveries to end

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:07 PM PST

The US Postal Service plans to end Saturday delivery of first-class mail by August, in its latest cost-cutting drive.

US Boy Scouts delays vote on gay ban

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 12:50 PM PST

The Boy Scouts of America postpones a vote to end its ban on gay members and leaders, amid fierce pressure from both sides of the debate.

Day in pictures: 6 February 2013

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:43 AM PST

24 hours of news photos: 6 February

In pictures: Seabirds cleaned

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:58 AM PST

Seabirds washed and cared for at an RSPCA centre in Somerset

VIDEO: House of Commons

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:04 AM PST

David Cameron apologises for the failings at Stafford Hospital.

VIDEO: Fireworks role in Chinese New Year

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:05 PM PST

Despite the danger, noise and pollution, for most Chinese people, new year celebrations wouldn't be complete without fireworks

VIDEO: Work starts on Pompeii restoration

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:13 PM PST

A major project has been launched to restore and protect one of the world's greatest archaeological sites: the ruins of Pompeii.

VIDEO: Will microchipping dogs cut strays?

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 03:53 PM PST

Every dog owner in England will have to microchip their animal from 2016 under plans intended to cut a rise in strays - but will it work?

VIDEO: Shoe thrown at Iran's Ahmadinejad

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:29 AM PST

Security guards have seized a man who tried to hit Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with a shoe as he visited a mosque in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

VIDEO: Rubbish piles up on streets of Seville

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:30 PM PST

An estimated 6,000 tonnes of rubbish is piling up on the streets of the Spanish city of Seville as workers continue a strike over pay and hours.

VIDEO: Rise in laser pen pilot attacks

Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:58 PM PST

There has been a rise in the number of incidents in which hand held lasers are being used to distract airline pilots flying over London, police have said.

VIDEO: Baftas, drunk tweets and depression

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 01:52 AM PST

Stephen Fry talks about putting the Bafta audience at ease, twitter alerts, and how he manages his mood swings.

Extinction: Beyond dinosaurs and dodos

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:52 PM PST

How extinction has helped other creatures flourish

VIDEO: Tech startups choose Newcastle

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:30 PM PST

Newcastle's burgeoning start-up scene

In pictures: Home gadgets of the past

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 04:01 PM PST

Household technology that has reached the end of its life cycle

Man Ray's portraits go on show

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:57 PM PST

Man Ray's experimental portraits go on show

Talking to Frank

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:03 PM PST

Do anti-drugs adverts really work?

Massachusetts: Gove's school model

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 06:30 AM PST

England borrows school ideas from New England

Viewpoint: US media lax on drones

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 05:04 PM PST

Is the truth finally starting to come out, asks Tara McKelvey.

Fiscal choices from IFS

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 02:32 AM PST

Stephanie Flanders looks at the fiscal choices from the IFS

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