... World

• Taliban claim suicide attack on Nato base

The Taliban claimed responsibility today for a suicide bombing inside a US-Afghan base in eastern Afghanistan that killed two Nato service members.

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• Bank apologises for removing customers parrot

Bank of America apologised to a woman after one of its contractors allegedly trashed her house and took her parrot while wrongly repossessing her home.

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• Junta bans pro-democracy leader from elections

A new election law issued by Burma’s ruling military bars pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from joining a political party, and thus from running in upcoming elections.

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• Survey: 50% to stay in EU for holidays

Half of people living in Europe say they won't leave the EU for their holiday this year.

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• China signs up to Copenhagen climate accord

China has formally signed up for the climate accord agreed at the Copenhagen summit.

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• Glass vials containing ghosts sold at auction

Two glass vials purportedly containing the ghosts of two dead people sold for 2,830 New Zealand dollars (€1,455) at an auction.

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• Police recover stolen corpse of former president

A Cyprus police spokesman confirmed that a body discovered in a Nicosia cemetery is the stolen corpse of ex-president Tassos Papadopoulos.

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• Judge who granted anonymity to Venables defends decision

Jon Venables would risk being killed by vengeful vigilantes if his new identity is revealed, the judge who granted anonymity to the killers of Liverpool toddler James Bulger has warned.

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• US execution delayed by pill overdose

The execution of a death-row inmate in the US has been postponed – after he overdosed on pills.

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• Help poor countries go nuclear Sarkozy urges

Poor countries should be helped to build their own nuclear power stations to help fight climate change, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today.

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• Miliband: Action against Saddam vital to UNs authority

The UN’s authority would have been “severely dented” if Britain and the US had not followed through threats to Saddam Hussein with military action, UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said today.

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• Nigeria massacre victims are buried

Mass burials were being held today for the hundreds of victims slaughtered in religious revenge attacks in central Nigeria.

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• Indian man killed in crush for police jobs

One man died and several were injured in a crush caused by tens of thousands of people applying for police jobs in India today.

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• Poker raid police draw a blank

German police were still clueless today in the hunt for four armed robbers who stole a slice of a poker tournament’s jackpot.

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• Carnage as suicide bomber targets police building

A suicide car bomber struck a building where police interrogate high-value suspects in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore today, killing at least 11 people and wounding scores more including women and children heading to school.

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• Obama congratulates Iraqis on over national vote

US president Barack Obama praised Iraqis who turned out to vote in national elections despite “acts of violence” to discourage participation.

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• 36 die as Iraqis defy intimidation to vote

Insurgents bombed a polling station and lobbed grenades at voters in Iraq today, killing 36 people in attacks aimed at intimidating those taking part in an election that will determine whether the country can overcome the sectarian divisions that have plagued it since the 2003 US-led invasion.

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• German poker tournament robbers on the run

German police say four heavily armed robbers who stormed a poker tournament are still on the run.

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• Venables new identity must be revealed says Jamies mother

James Bulger killer Jon Venables should be stripped of his new identity if he is charged with a new offence, the toddler’s mother said.

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• Geldof: Band Aid weapons claims nonsense

Claims that aid money sent to Ethiopia was spent on weapons are “palpable nonsense”, Band Aid founder Bob Geldof said today.

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