Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rules out any concession on building in East Jerusalem, hours before he leaves for Washington.

Four employees of mining group Rio Tinto will go on trial in Shanghai, charged with bribery and commercial espionage.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party have suffered a blow from voters in the final round of regional elections, exit polls say.

El-Hadji Diouf's header earns a point for Blackburn as Chelsea's title aspirations take a blow at Ewood Park.

China's state media accuses Google of "intricate ties" with the US government and trying to change Chinese society.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei uses his new year message to accuse the US of plotting against his country.

Thousands of mourners in Kathmandu pay respect to Nepal's former Prime Minister Giri Prasad Koirala, who died on Saturday aged 86.

A second-half Ji-Sung Park header earns Manchester United a battling win against Liverpool and returns them to the Premier League summit.

The developers making millions from smart phones

Democrats say they have enough votes to pass landmark healthcare reforms. What do you think of the bill?

Senior Democrats say they are confident they have the votes to pass landmark health reform in the US House of Representatives.

The Israeli cabinet backs an investment plan for Israeli Arabs, who have long suffered inequality and discrimination.

Iraq's election commission rejects calls from the president and prime minister for a recount of votes in the general election.

Grave robbers in Cyprus steal the remains of two Greek Orthodox archbishops from a cemetery in the city of Nicosia.

Ten people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, officials say.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemns blockades on Palestinians in Gaza, during a visit to reinvigorate the peace process.

The cities of Pune and Kochi spend $700 between them buying Indian Premier League franchises for the 2011 season.

A boat made mostly from recyclable materials prepares to set sail from San Francisco to Sydney to drive home the environmental message to recycle, reuse and rethink the way we use plastic.

A volcano in southern Iceland begins to erupt, leading to the evacuation of several hundred local residents.

The longest-held foreign hostage in Sudan's Darfur region says he was not mistreated, but faced a "daily struggle" to stay positive.

South Africa marks the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre, an iconic moment in the anti-apartheid struggle.

Unease as South Africa remembers 1960 massacre

The Pope's rare letter attempts to heal wounds

With US-Israeli ties at a low ebb over plans to build new homes for settlers in disputed East Jerusalem, the BBC's Paul Adams wonders if a former secretary of state offers lessons for Hillary Clinton in taking on Washington's powerful Israel lobby.

A senior commander of the Somali Islamist group, al-Shabab, is assassinated inside an area held by his own forces.

Beijing is shrouded in orange dust as a sandstorm from drought-struck northern China blew hundreds of miles into the capital.

How the European president got bitten by the haiku bug

There has not been a confirmed sighting of an elephant in the Knysna forests of South Africa for decades, but signs of these revered animals can still be found.

President Sarkozy's recent performance in the popularity polls shows he has his work cut out to win back the affections of the French.

The desert battle of WWII that still kills and maims