Current Articles from BBC News

Obama unveils $50bn building plan
President Barack Obama announces a $50bn infrastructure plan as part of efforts to jump-start the faltering US economy.
Housing group 'near administration'
Connaught, the property services group that specialises in social housing, is on the brink of going into administration, the BBC learns.
Australia 'kingmakers' to decide
Three independent Australian MPs are due to reveal who they will back as prime minister, ending two weeks of deadlock since inconclusive elections.
Labour MPs call for hacking probe
Labour MPs demand the police investigation into alleged phone-hacking by News of the World reporters is reopened, at an urgent Commons session.
MPs back AV referendum bill
Plans to change the way MPs are elected to Parliament survive their first Commons hurdle - despite criticism from Tory MPs.
Tube workers begin 24-hour strike
Severe disruption is expected on London Underground as the first workers begin a 24-hour strike.
Scam fear over electricity credit
Criminals have managed to clone prepayment meter keys in order to make money by offering discounted credit to customers.
Iran 'hampers IAEA investigation'
The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has hindered its investigations by repeatedly objecting to its choice of inspectors.
Fears over street light cut-backs
The growing number of councils across the UK switching off street lights prompts criticism from MPs and road safety groups.
France faces pension plan strike
France faces disruption in a strike over pension reform on Tuesday, when MPs will also debate a ban on full face veils and a new security bill.
Service to commemorate the Blitz
A Remembrance service is to be held later to mark the 70th anniversary of the start of the blitz.
Inbred bumblebees 'facing extinction'
Some of the UK's rarest bumblebees are at risk of becoming extinct as a result of inbreeding, research suggests.
Saatchi art gallery deal hits setback
Charles Saatchi's plan to donate his gallery to the British public hits a stumbling block after talks with Arts Council England break down.
Capello insists Rooney will play
England manager Fabio Capello insists striker Wayne Rooney will play in the Euro 2012 qualifier away to Switzerland on Tuesday.
Live text - US Open day eight
Roger Federer takes on Jurgen Melzer in the US Open night session after Caroline Wozniacki sees off Maria Sharapova.
Houllier poised to take Villa job
Former Liverpool and Lyon boss Gerard Houllier is set to be appointed as Aston Villa's new manager on Wednesday, BBC Sport understands.
Pietersen fined for Twitter rant
England batsman Kevin Pietersen is given an undisclosed fine by the ECB over his Twitter tirade.
Striker Kuyt suffers injury blow
Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt injures shoulder during training with the Netherlands, according to Dutch boss Bert van Marwijk
New police appeal over MI6 death
Police investigating the death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams appeal for help in tracing two people seen entering his central London flat.
Murder accused's 'gymnastic sex'
A man who killed his wife after five months of marriage enjoyed "gymnastic" sex sessions with another woman, a court hears.
Barclays bank to create 600 jobs
Banking giant Barclays announces it is to expand its presence in Glasgow, creating 600 jobs.
Man dies in Philippines stabbing
A 27-year-old Aberdeen man is stabbed and killed two days after flying to the Philippines.
Shock over pipe bomb at school
A father speaks of his shock after his eight-year-old son picked up a pipe bomb in a school playground in Antrim.
Gang 'advertised city brothels'
A Scottish crime gang spent more than £50,000 advertising brothels in Belfast, a court is told.
'Disgust' over killer's sentence
A Flintshire mother calls for tougher sentences for so-called "one-punch killers" after her son's attacker was jailed for 40 months for manslaughter.
Children hurt in school bus crash
More than 60 children were involved a collision between two school buses in south Wales, say police.
SA public sector strike suspended
South African trade unions suspend a nationwide strike which has paralysed schools and hospitals for 20 days.
Vicar jailed for sham marriages
A Sussex vicar found guilty of carrying out hundreds of sham marriages is jailed for four years.
NZ quake 'damaged 100,000 homes'
Almost two-thirds of the 160,000 homes in and around Christchurch were damaged by Saturday's earthquake, New Zealand's prime minister says.
Japan convicts whaling activists
A court in Japan gives one-year suspended jail sentences to two anti-whaling activists from Greenpeace for stealing whale meat in 2008.
Greek PM reshuffles his cabinet
Greek PM George Papandreou reshuffles his cabinet but leaves the key post of finance minister unchanged as his government battles a debt crisis.
Germany extends nuclear lifespan
Germany's government agrees to extend the life span of the country's nuclear power plants by an average of 12 years, officials say.
Guatemala mudslide search halted
Teams in Guatemala have to halt the search for bodies following devasting mudslides which have killed at least 45 people.
Miners' families mark first month
Relatives of 33 trapped miners in Chile hold a ceremony to mark their first month underground.
French FM pledges Ashtiani support
France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says he will 'do anything' to help save an Iranian woman sentenced to death on an adultery conviction.
Lebanon PM retracts Syria charge
Lebanese PM Saad Hariri says he was wrong to accuse Syria of assassinating his father - former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri.
Fresh exodus from Pakistan floods
Hundreds of thousands of people flee towns and villages threatened by fresh floods in Pakistan's deluged southern Sindh province.
Suicide attack on Pakistan police
Nearly 20 people die as a suicide bomber rams an explosives laden pickup truck into a police station in north-west Pakistan.
Travolta extortion case dismissed
Charges against two people accused of trying to extort money from actor John Travolta, following the death of his son in the Bahamas, are dropped.
BP well 'poses no further risk'
The official in charge of cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill says the well which caused the damage is no longer a risk to the environment.
School clothes boost retail sales
Retail sales rose in August, partly thanks to strong sales of children's clothing ahead of the new school year, figures suggest.
BA boss reveals takeover ambition
British Airways and Iberia draw up a shortlist of 12 airlines which the firms hope to buy or merge with.
Demand for Equitable Life payout
Pensioners hit by the Equitable Life scandal are making a final attempt to persuade the government to pay them full compensation.
Blair cancels London book signing
Tony Blair cancels a planned book signing in London on Wednesday to prevent causing the police "a lot of hassle".
End UK rebate - EU budget chief
The EU budget commissioner says he sees no grounds for the UK to keep its budget rebate.
Student migration 'unsustainable'
The number of foreign students let into the UK is "unsustainable", minister Damian Green says in his first major speech on immigration.
UK radiotherapy 'lagging behind'
Too few UK cancer patients are receiving state-of-the-art radiotherapy care, experts from Cancer Research UK say.
Non-stick pan 'cholesterol link'
Scientists are concerned that exposure to chemicals used in non-stick frying pans could raise cholesterol levels in children after finding a link.
Bipolar 'not linked to violence'
People with a mental illness are no more likely to be violent unless they abuse drugs or alcohol, a study suggests.
First 16 'free schools' revealed
The first 16 'free schools' to be set up are named by Education Secretary Michael Gove.
Former head jailed for sex abuse
A former boarding school head teacher is jailed for 21 years for sexually abusing and beating pupils.
Gove defends free school numbers
Michael Gove says demand for new free schools has exceeded expectations but Labour says plans for 16 new institutions next year are "laughable".
UK mobile firms to merge networks
Customers of Orange and T-Mobile will soon be able to hop between the two mobile networks as the firms merge their networks.
Buzz lawsuit to cost Google $8.5m
Google proposes paying $8.5m (£5.5m) to settle a class-action lawsuit brought over its Buzz social network, launched earlier this year.
Tiny solar cells fix themselves
A mix of chemicals borrowed from plants with tiny tubes of carbon can spontaneously create tiny, self-repairing solar cells.
'No climate link' to African wars
A study suggests climate change is not responsible for civil wars in Africa, challenging widely held assumptions.
Red Planet 'may not be lifeless'
Carbon-rich organic molecules, which serve as the building blocks of life, may be present on Mars after all, say scientists.
Insect brains to fight MRSA
Cockroach and locust brains are a rich source of antibiotics powerful enough to tackle MRSA, researchers say.
Emmerdale in TV Choice hat-trick
Emmerdale wins three prizes at the TV Choice Awards, with EastEnders taking the prize for best soap in its 25th anniversary year.
Fry slams BBC 'culture of fear'
Stephen Fry criticises a culture of fear at the BBC which is creating "incredibly bland" programmes
Forsyth quits dance results show
Bruce Forsyth quits Strictly Come Dancing's Sunday results show and is replaced by Claudia Winkleman.
Do our memories get better with age?
Our ability to recall events seems to sharpen as we get older, says Lisa Jardine, but can it be trusted to paint an accurate picture?
Eddie who?
Comic Eddie Kadi can command vast crowds at his live shows. Why has he attracted so little mainstream attention?
Don't let the bed bugs bite
The world is on the verge of a bed-bug pandemic, according to a report - how did the tiny biting insects come to pose such a threat?
Police 'will decide on phone hacking inquiry'
The police and not the government should decide whether to re-open the investigation into the News of the World phone-hacking allegations, Home Secretary Theresa May has said.
Rare colour footage of the Blitz
Remarkable new footage of the the London blitz goes on show.
Clear up begins in parts of Pakistan
The BBC's Orla Guerin has returned to the Pakistan town of Nowshera, which was one of the first areas to be hit by the rising waters.
Rooney 'happy to play' says Capello
England manager Fabio Capello says striker Wayne Rooney is in the right frame of mind to play against Switzerland on Tuesday despite allegations about his private life.
Schoolboy: 'I found a pipe bomb'
The suspicious object was left in the playground of St Comgall's Primary School and picked up by an eight -year-old pupil.
Andrea Bocelli concerts to mark 9/11
Andrea Bocelli is inviting survivors of the attacks on 11 September 2001 in New York to concerts on the Amalfi coast.
Shady world of Indian illegal bookies
The role of the gambling syndicates that can make millions from the outcome of a single game has been highlighted by the allegation that three Pakistani cricket players were involved in a betting scam.
Elbow and Kloot talk Mercury Prize
I Am Kloot singer John Bramwell talks to Elbow's Guy Garvey about Kloot's Mercury Music Prize-nominated album, which Garvey and bandmate Craig Potter produced.
CCTV released in appeal over MI6 death
Police investigating the death of MI6 worker Gareth Williams have released the most recent CCTV footage of the victim.
Tales from the Blitz
Why memories of the bombardment never fade
Unswung hero
What does this man tell us about the real 1960s?
Century man
How likely is it that you'll live to be 100 years old?
Family on film
Director Sofia Coppola returns with her new movie Somewhere
Zero tolerance?
US Muslims are free but that's not enough, argues Michael Goldfarb