UN to start major Haiti food distribution programme

The UN describes previous food aid efforts as "quick and dirty"

The UN is to begin a major programme of food distribution in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, almost three weeks after the deadly earthquake.

Sixteen sites have been set up across the city with the aim of reaching two million people over two weeks.

The move came as doctors voiced concern that the US had halted the evacuation of the critically injured to the US.

And at least nine Americans were held on suspicion of trying to take children out of the country unauthorised.

A Haiti government spokesman, Yves Christallin, said the Americans were caught with more than 30 children on the border with the Dominican Republic, where they said they had an orphanage.

Women only

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had established fixed sites for food distribution, to begin on Sunday.

Only women will be allowed to collect earthquake relief supplies, because - the WFP says - this has proved that is the best way to get food to the people who need it.

Men will be encouraged to wait outside the distribution centres to accompany women after they have been given rations, because lone women would be more vulnerable to attack.

The WFP would work with the local authorities to ensure that men in need of assistance were not excluded, it said.

On Saturday, the UN body started to hand out food coupons for the distribution sites.

Each family will be entitled to collect 25kg (55lb) of rice rations, designed to last two weeks.

"Up until now the nature of this emergency has forced us to work in a 'quick and dirty' way simply to get food out," said Executive Director Josette Sheeran.

"This new system will allow us to provide food assistance to more people, more quickly through a robust network of fixed distribution sites."

The WFP says it has reached 600,000 people with over 16 million meals since the earthquake, amid huge logistical problems caused by damage to local infrastructure.

'Kids will die'

A senior US medic told the BBC that scores of people injured in the earthquake could die if the US did not resume emergency evacuations soon.

Dr Barth Green, Dr Cathy Burneit and Dr David Pitcher describe difficulties in Haiti

"The consequences - in the kids with crushed chests and on ventilators and respirators, and some of the adults - are they will die," Barth Green, a senior American doctor at a field hospital in Port-au-Prince airport, told the BBC.

Among the patients was a five-year-old girl suffering from tetanus in a small leg wound.

She would die within a day unless evacuated, Dr David Pitcher, a medic at the institute's temporary field hospital at Haiti's international airport, told the Associated Press.

The US military stopped the flights to Florida on Wednesday.

A White House spokesman told the BBC the move was due to "logistical issues", not because of a row over medical costs as had been reported earlier.

"There has been no policy decision made to suspend medical evacuation flights. This is an unprecedented relief effort with enormous logistical hurdles, and we are working through those in an effort to resume medical evacuation flights," the White House spokesman said.

Hundreds of patients with spinal injuries, burns and other wounds have been evacuated to the US since the 12 January quake that killed up to 200,000 people.

Neil Young celebrates Musicares charity honour

Singer-songwriter Neil Young enjoyed 20 of his best known hits sung by the likes of Elton John as he was honoured by the US Recording Academy.

Young, 64, was named the Musicares person of the year for his "influential artistic accomplishments and philanthropic work".

John sang Helpless and told the audience Young was "my hero".

"It's been a great night. It wore me out. Now I've got to go back and try and write some more songs," Young said.

The US Recording Academy awards the Grammys, so the event kicked off the Grammy weekend - the awards take place on Sunday night.

'Best music'

Other performances at the Los Angeles Convention Centre came from artists including James Taylor, Elvis Costello, Keith Urban, John Forgarty, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crowe and Norah Jones.

Actor Jack Black was host for the evening.

Young was honoured for his charity work, including his support of Farm Aid and the Bridge School Concerts, which raise money to provide services for children with severe physical and speech impairments.

Sir Elton was backed by Sheryl Crowe, Leon Russell and Neko Case

Young has two sons who have cerebral palsy.

The tribute was attended by over 2,000 guests.

"I'd forgotten how many songs I'd written," Young said.

Young's former bandmates - Stills, David Crosby and Graham Nash - took to the stage last.

"We made some of the best music of our lives with you, man," Crosby said, a previous winner of the award himself.

Other recipients include Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

MusiCares was established by the US Recording Academy in 1989 to provide assistance to musicians in times of financial, medical or personal emergency.

Young was born in Canada and rose to worldwide fame in the 1960s. His hits include Heart of Gold and Old Man.

World's most famous 'unseen' diamond

The room was dimly lit. Armed guards stood at both entrances and enormous ironclad doors were slid shut to seal the gallery.

Nobody spoke above a whisper as we waited for the first glimpse in half a century of one of the world's most extraordinary gems.

The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond was last seen in public at the 1958 World Exhibition in Brussels. After that, it disappeared and its whereabouts remained a mystery until Laurence Graff, a billionaire diamond dealer, bought it at auction in 2008, appending his surname.

He and his son Francois were in the gallery of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC as the blue stone, was brought up from a secret vault and finally revealed.

Flawless beauty

"I've been privileged over the years to own some of the world's most important and famous diamonds, but I would say that the Wittelsbach-Graff is the most valuable and the most beautiful," he said.

Under ultraviolet light, the diamond has an orange hue

Sitting unadorned on a silken white cloth, it glittered gray and blue in the low light. Classed as "internally flawless" it is said to have exceptional colour and becomes intense orange when viewed under ultraviolet light.

"When I saw this stone, I knew it was a stone we had to have," said Laurence Graff. "I had the opportunity to examine and value it in my own offices, and I came to the conclusion it was one of the rarest stones I'd ever seen."

'True perfection'

Initially valued at around $15m, Mr Graff paid more than $25m. In a controversial move he had it re-cut and polished, reducing it from 35.5 carats to little over 31 carats. Critics say the act compromised the historical integrity of the stone, but Mr Graff disagrees.

"I decided that to create beauty, or acts of beauty, is not a sin. All we did was remove the blemishes and now it's true perfection. It's the most wonderful diamond to hold in your hand. It's got the most incredible feel to it - a magical feel. We have managed to bring out the true colour of the stone without changing the faceting or the shape.

Laurence Graff paid more than $25 million for the gem

"The true rarity of the diamond, whatever its history, is the diamond itself. The history will continue. Every diamond that was ever mined, every diamond that was ever polished and cut, is still with us. Who knows the story that this stone will tell in a thousand years time. I'm sure it will gather very romantic stories, mysterious stories, intriguing stories, but at the end of the day the true beauty of the stone will remain. That will always be the best story."

Francois Graff compared the decision to restoring a priceless painting. "If you discovered a Leonardo da Vinci with a tear in it and covered in mud, you would want to repair it. We have similarly cleaned up the diamond and repaired damage caused over the years."

Distant cousins

The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond originated in India. In 1664, Philip IV of Spain gave it to his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa to celebrate her engagement to Emperor Leopold of Austria.

In 1772, it acquired its name by passing to the Wittelsbach family of the House of Bavaria. After World War I, Bavaria became a republic and the Crown Jewels, including the diamond were sold.

For the next hundred years it was rarely seen in public.

"It's probably the most famous diamond the world has never seen," said Jeffrey Post, curator of the Smithsonian National Gem Collection. "It's always been lurking out there - but we've never seen it."

The Wittelsbach-Graff was secretly transported to the museum in the dead of night, a week before it was due to go on display.

The Hope and the Wittelsbach are believed to be in a class by themselves

Mr Post and some of the nation's leading diamond experts locked themselves in the vault to spend the time examining it and comparing it to the legendary Hope - the world's largest blue diamond at 45.52 carats - which is the star of the National Gem Collection.

It was thought that the two may once have been part of the same crystal, but tests proved negative. Although they share significant similarities and come from the same place, the Hope and the Wittelsbach-Graff are more like distant cousins than siblings.

"We had this confluence of history with two of the world's great diamonds," said Mr Post, "and an unparalleled opportunity to examine them. Diamonds have been mined for hundreds of years but in all that time these two stand in a class by themselves unlike any other diamond found."

Diamonds are typically formed about 100 miles underground and are billions of years old. They can tell scientists much about the history of the planet.

The Wittelsbach-Graff will be displayed alongside the Hope at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History until August. After that, its future is uncertain.

Laurence Graff says it may move to London's Natural History Museum - but it could also be sold. If that happens, it could disappear for another hundred years.

Body of lottery winner found buried in Florida

The body of a former truck driver's assistant who won $17m in a lottery in 2006 has been found buried under a concrete slab in a backyard in Florida.

Abraham Shakespeare, who was barely literate, went missing nine months ago after complaining of being exploited by hangers-on who tried to take his money.

His body was found on Friday behind a home belonging to the boyfriend of a woman who befriended him in 2007.

Police believe he was murdered, but have not yet arrested anyone.

Hillsborough County sheriff's detectives used fingerprints to identify Mr Shakespeare's body, which they found covered by a concrete slab in a backyard in Plant City.

Police do not yet know how he died, but they believe the woman, named Dorice Donegan "Dee-Dee" Moore, may be able to shed light on what happened.

'Better off broke'

A tip-off led detectives to the grave behind the home of Ms Moore's boyfriend Shar Krasniqi.

Mr Shakespeare bought the winning ticket at a store in the town of Frostproof but his brother, Robert Brown, said he often wished he had never won.

"'I'd have been better off broke.' He said that to me all the time," Mr Brown said.

Samuel Jones, a childhood friend of Mr Shakespeare's, said: "He really didn't understand it at all. It was moving so fast. It changed his life in a bad way."

Mr Jones said his friend would tell him: "I thought all these people were my friends, but then I realised all they want is just money."

Among the new acquaintances was Ms Moore.

Property records show her company, American Medical Professionals, bought his home for $655,000 a year ago.

Not long afterward, detectives said, she helped him open a company and gave herself the ability to sign for money.

She withdrew $1m and later told detectives Mr Shakespeare gave her the cash as a gift. She bought a Hummer, a Corvette and a truck, and went on holiday.

Mr Jones said his friend lived a humble life, and just before he bought the winning ticket he joined a church and was baptised.

"When he won the lottery, he forgot about being saved," Mr Jones said.

Mr Shakespeare's friends and family said when he went missing, they had hoped he was on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean.

Snow causes German traffic chaos with three deaths

Heavy snow and high winds have caused traffic chaos across Germany with at least three deaths reported nationwide.

Conditions closed some motorways and caused long traffic jams on many others.

North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes the cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf, recorded 300 accidents on Friday night and Saturday morning.

Public transport in some areas has been shut down and police have advised people not to travel if possible.

The traffic chaos in North Rhine-Westphalia led to one death and 40 more people injured, while in Bavaria another two people were killed on frozen roads.

Flights at some airports were cancelled or delayed.

With many roads almost impassable, some Germans used alternative transport

Sport hit

Bus services in the northern city of Rostock were suspended and sports fixtures cancelled after 30cm (12in) of snow fell in one night.

Police warned motorists that if they got stranded they might have to wait hours for help.

"People should just stay at home," a spokesman said.

But despite the weather, some intrepid Germans were determined to enjoy the weekend.

In Hamburg hundreds of families skated across the frozen Alster Lake, which forecasters said was a once in a decade phenomenon.

Peru death toll rises to 20 after floods in south

The flooding has heavily damaged southern regions

The number of people killed in heavy flooding over the past several days in southern Peru has risen to 20, local officials say.

They say that at least five more people are missing and almost 40,000 others have been affected.

On Friday, officials airlifted the last of nearly 4,000 tourists stranded near the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu.

The tourists became trapped after floods and landslides destroyed road and rail links to the famous site.

'Terrified'

Peru's Cuzco region in the Andes is the worst-hit.

Lucre - a village situated next to a river with the same name - was all but washed away earlier this week, the BBC's Dan Collyns reports from the region.

"The waters hit our home at 2330 at night when we were all asleep," local resident Berta Pantoja says.

"Someone heard the noise and before we could even get out of our beds the water was flowing over them. Terrified, all seven of us rean in different directions trying to escape," she adds.

Many local residents are now trying to salvage what they can from their destroyed houses.

After the impressive airlift from Machu Picchu, bringing aid to hundreds of villages spread over a wide area will pose a far greater challenge, our correspondent says.

Other regions such as Puno, Ayacucho and Huancavelica were also hit hard by the torrential rains.

Officials say the floods are the worst to hit the country in years.

Sky launches 3D channel in pubs

Fans will be able to enjoy 3D from the comfort of their bar stool

Sky is kicking off the UK's first 3D channel with a live Premier League football match to be broadcast in nine pubs around the UK this weekend.

The match between Arsenal and Manchester United will be viewable in 3D in pubs in London, Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

In April Sky will roll out its 3D channel to hundreds of other pubs.

Later in the year, Sky 3D will be made available to all Sky+HD customers with a range of content on offer.

This will include movies, sport, documentaries and entertainment.

Sky 3D will initially be available as a free add-on for those with Sky+HD boxes.

Viewers need to wear a special pair of glasses to watch the content.

There has been a great deal of hype around the technology since cinemas began showing films in 3D.

Avatar, shot in 3D, has become the highest grossing film of all time.

It is expected that 3D-ready TVs will hit the consumer market later this year.

"People have already embraced 3D cinema and because Sky's 3D service uses the same kind of technology, we're confident there will be demand for sport, movies, concerts and drama in 3D," said Gerry O'Sullivan, Sky's director of strategic product development.

In February, two rugby matches in the Six Nations championship will be filmed in 3D and shown at cinemas around the UK.

The 2010 World Cup will also be filmed in the format.

The BBC was the first to show a 3D sports event, broadcasting a Scotland v England rugby match at the Six Nations championship in 2008.

Apple's iPad to 'kickstart' tablet market

Maggie Shiels is given a tour of what Apple's iPad can do

Industry watchers say Apple's long-awaited iPad tablet could reverse the fortunes of the tablet PC industry.

Microsoft introduced a tablet computer in 2001, but it failed to catch on.

However, advances in touchscreens and wireless technology mean that the market could now be right for products such as the iPad, analysts said.

"Tablets have been around for a long time and tablets have failed for a long time. This is a winning product," said analyst Van Baker of Gartner Research.

"I was nervous when they first started talking about this and thought it would be nothing more than a giant iPhone.

"It's hard to argue against. I can use it in the living room, the classroom, for light work and at the coffee shop," Mr Baker told BBC News.

'What need?'

Apple said its aim was to try to create a third category of product that sits between a laptop and a smartphone, which is the traditional interpretation of a tablet computer.

But Mr Jobs pointed out that in order for consumers to buy one, Apple's iPad had to change perceptions and offer a different experience to other devices."

Apple did what they needed to do. They gave this form factor a reason to exist," said Mike Gartenberg, vice-president of strategy and analysis at research firm Interpret.

"They answered the question immediately 'Why do I want the iPad?' And they showed why. They are leveraging the entire Apple eco-system.

"Everything they have done up until now is in this device - the iPod, iTunes, multi-touch, the applications. And then they added new features like the iBook store and productivity," Mr Gartenberg told BBC News.

"I think this is going to be a very successful product for them and exceed expectations."

Blogger and Apple watcher MG Siegler of TechCrunch had a different take.

"Is it a must have? The quick and dirty answer is: for many people, right now, no.

"Unlike the iPhone, which filled an already well-established need, there is no existing need the iPad fills."

Poltergeist actress Zelda Rubinstein dies, aged 76

Rubinstein suffered a heart attack two months ago

Zelda Rubinstein, the US actress best known for her role as the diminutive psychic in 1982 film Poltergeist, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 76.

The 4ft 3in (1.29m) actress died in hospital on Wednesday after recently suffering a heart attack, her agent told the Los Angeles Times.

Eccentric medium Tangina Barrons was her first major role and one she reprised in two Poltergeist sequels.

More recently, Rubinstein appeared in Southland Tales and TV's Picket Fences.

She also appeared in a high-profile Aids public awareness campaign in the 1980s and was an outspoken activist for the rights of people of restricted height.

Haunted house

Born in Pittsburgh in 1933, the former lab technician was almost 50 when she made her big-screen debut as a woman playing a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz in 1982's Under the Rainbow.

Poltergeist followed, in which her character came to the assistance of a suburban family living in a haunted house.

Fans will remember her child-like voice exhorting spirits to "go into the light" before declaring "this house is clean".

She went on to appear with Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, before returning as Tangina in Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III.

Rubinstein was sent to hospital at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center two months ago, after suffering a mild heart attack.

"She had ongoing health issues and unfortunately they finally overtook her," her agent Eric Stevens said.

Toyota car recall hits US, Europe and China

Toyota has announced the recall of vehicles in the US, Europe and China over concerns about accelerator pedals getting stuck on floor mats.

The firm has announced plans to recall 1.1 million more cars in the US a day after saying it was suspending sales of eight popular US models.

According to an application to China's quality control office, it wants to recall 75,552 RAV4 vehicles there.

Toyota also announced 750 jobs could go at its Burnaston plant in the UK.

The positions would be lost before August.

"[Last year] was a tough year for Toyota Manufacturing UK," the carmaker said.

"This decision is related to production capacity and efficiency, not to production volumes."

Toyota said no decision had been taken about how the jobs would go, but added that it was not currently considering compulsory redundancies.

Investor concerns

Toyota wants to recall the RAV4 vehicles in China from 28 February.

The cars in question were manufactured between 19 March 2009 and 25 January 2010 in Tianjin, according to a notice on the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China.

The specifics of the recall in Europe have yet to be decided.

Colin Hensley, general manager of Toyota's European operations, said the carmaker was trying to establish how many European models shared the parts used in the cars recalled in the US.

Last week, the world's largest carmaker recalled 2.3 million cars in the US with faulty pedals.

It has now recalled almost 8 million cars in the US in the past four months.

Last November, it recalled 4.2 million cars because of worries over pedals getting lodged under floor mats.

"Toyota's remedy plan is to modify or replace the accelerator pedals on the subject vehicles to address the risk of floor mat entrapment," the company said.

The latest recall affects five models in the US: the 2008-2010 Highlander and the 2009-2010 Corolla, Venza, Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.

Toyota shares fell a further 3.9% in Japan, after dropping 4.3% on Wednesday, as concerns about the impact of the recalls on the carmaker's financial health and reputation gripped investors.

"It is still uncertain how this recall problem will affect Toyota's profits. But investors are worried it could really pressure the company's overall earnings," said Masatoshi Sato at Mizuho Investors Securities.

Haiti quake rescuers find girl alive after 15 days

A 16-year-old girl has been pulled out of the rubble in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, 15 days after the earthquake struck, rescuers say.

Darlene Etienne was said to be happy but dehydrated. Rescuers said she had survived by drinking water from a bath.

Her rescue comes five days after Haitian government officially ended the search and rescue operation.

Meanwhile President Rene Preval has said parliamentary elections due to be held on 28 February will be postponed.

As many as 200,000 people died in the 12 January earthquake. More than 130 people have been pulled alive from the rubble.

Bath water

A rescue worker described the discovery of the teenager, two weeks after the quake destroyed the city, as a "miracle".

HAITI'S REMARKABLE SURVIVORS Darlene Etienne, 16 - rescued after 15 days Rico Dibrivell, early 30s - rescued after 12 days Wismond Exantus, 24, found after 11 days Emmannuel Buso, 21 - rescued after 10 days Marie Carida, 84 - saved after 10 days Mendji Bahina Sanon, 11 - trapped for eight days Lozama Hotteline, 25 - pulled out after seven days Elisabeth Joassaint, 15 days - buried for seven days, half her life Ena Zizi, 69 - rescued after seven days

"I don't know how she happened to resist that long," said rescue worker JP Malaganne.

The 16-year-old was found in the rubble of a house near the College St Gerard, which one of her relatives said she had just started attending.

Neighbours had been searching in the rubble of their homes in the central Carrefour-Feuilles district when they heard a weak voice and called rescue teams to help.

They managed to locate the girl in the wreckage and less than an hour later had dug a hole to pull her out, covered in dust.

Rescuer Claude Fuilla told the Associated Press news agency: "She couldn't really talk to us or say how long she'd been there but I think she'd been there since the earthquake.

"I don't think she could have survived even a few more hours."

Darlene was given water and oxygen before being taken to a French field hospital and medical ship.

"She just said 'Thank you', she's very weak, which suggests that she's been there for 15 days," said Samuel Bernes, head of the rescue team that discovered her.

He described her location within the rubble as "in a pocket, surrounded by concrete".

The BBC's Karen Allen, in the Haitian capital, said that rescue workers had told her the teenager was trapped in the bathroom when the quake struck and was able to survive by drinking water from a bath.

On Tuesday, rescuers discovered a 31-year-old man who had been trapped for 12 days after being caught in one of the numerous aftershocks that rocked the city after the earthquake.

In announcing the election delay, Mr Preval said he would not seek to remain in office beyond the end of his term in February 2011.

He added: "I don't think the time is right to hold elections now given the conditions in which people are living."

US man 'detained' in North Korea

North Korea says it has detained a US citizen for illegally entering its territory across the border from China.

The official news agency KCNA said the man, who has not been identified, had been arrested on Monday and was now being questioned.

North Korea is currently holding another US citizen, Robert Park.

Mr Park crossed a frozen border river from China on 25 December, to make a protest against repression in the hard-line Communist North.

The US has been seeking access to Mr Park through the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, which represents American interests in North Korea.

Last year two US journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were also arrested on the border with China.

They were sentenced to 12 years' hard labour but freed after four months in captivity, as part of a diplomatic mission spearheaded by former US President Bill Clinton in August.

Iran 'executes two over post-election unrest'

Thousands of opposition supporters were detained at post-election protests

Iran has executed two men arrested during the period of widespread unrest that erupted after June's disputed presidential election, reports say.

They had been convicted of being "enemies of God", members of armed groups and trying to topple the Islamic establishment, Isna news agency said.

The executions are believed to be the first related to last year's protests.

Millions demanded a re-run of June's poll at the largest demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Opposition groups said it had been rigged to ensure the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a charge the government denied.

At least 30 protesters have been killed in clashes since the elections, although the opposition says more than 70 have died. Thousands have been detained and some 200 activists remain behind bars.

Last month, eight people were killed in clashes at demonstrations on Ashura, one of the holiest days in the Shia Muslim calendar.

"Following the riots and anti-revolutionary measures in recent months, particularly on the day of Ashura, a Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court branch considered the cases of a number of accused and handed down death sentences against 11 of those," Isna said, quoting a statement from the Tehran prosecutor's office.

"The sentences against two of these people... were carried out today at dawn and the accused were hanged," the semi-official agency said, adding the sentences had been confirmed by an appeal court.

It named them as Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour.

"The sentences for the other nine of the accused in recent months' riots are at the appeal stage... upon confirmation, measures will be undertaken to implement the sentences," Isna added.

'Show trial'

There has been no independent confirmation of the executions or the names, but opposition groups had previously said Mr Ali-Zamani was sentenced to death in October.

He and one other person were believed to have been convicted for ties with the Kingdom Assembly of Iran (Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran), a banned monarchist group.

Mohammad Ali-Zamani is reportedly one of those hanged

At his trial in August, prosecutors accused Mr Ali-Zamani of plotting political assassinations with US military officials in Iraq before returning to Iran "aiming at causing disruption during and after the election". He is said to have admitted his guilt in court.

The Kingdom Assembly of Iran confirmed it had worked with Mr Ali-Zamani, but dismissed the allegations and insisted he had been forced to confess. The group said he had played no role in the post-election protests and had merely passed on news to its radio station.

Human rights activists also noted the indictment stated that Mr Ali-Zamani had been arrested before engaging in any actions relating to the protests.

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer for Mr Rahmanipour, also denied he had played any role in the unrest and dismissed his "show trial" in July.

"He was arrested in Farvardin [the Iranian month covering March-April] - before the election - and charged with co-operation with the Kingdom Assembly," she told the AFP news agency.

Ms Sotoudeh said her client had been 19 when he was arrested, and that many of the charges related to the time when he was a minor.

"He confessed because of threats against his family," she said, adding that his family had not known the appeal had failed.

In 2008, the Iranian authorities blamed the Kingdom Assembly of Iran for an explosion at mosque in the south-western city of Shiraz which killed 12 people and wounded more than 200.

Correspondents say the executions may further increase tension in Iran ahead of possible new anti-government protests next month.

Messages have been circulating on the internet about demonstrations on 11 February, the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

On Wednesday, Iran's state media reported that two German diplomats had been detained and accused of playing a role in last month's anti-government protests.

A deputy interior minister was quoted as saying they were detained on 27 December, the day after the demonstrations. He also said a close aide to the opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, was being held for alleged contacts with German intelligence agents.

Germany's foreign ministry said it had no knowledge of the detentions and categorically rejected the accusations.

Deadline looms for Google Books deal

Authors are split over the deal

Amazon has urged a New York court to reject a deal that would allow Google to build a vast digital library.

The online retailer says that if Google is given exclusive rights to scan books for use on the internet, it is "likely to lead to a monopoly".

Interested groups and authors have until 28 January to file objections to the project to a US court.

Google says the project will "unlock access to millions of books" and give authors new ways to distribute books.

Google Books aims to scan millions of books worldwide and make them available - and searchable - online.

It was first launched in 2004 but was put on hold a year later when the Authors Guild of America and Association of American Publishers sued over "massive copyright infringement".

As a result, in 2008 Google agreed to pay $125m (£77m) to create a Book Rights Registry, where authors and publishers could register works and receive compensation.

A decision on whether the deal could go through was originally scheduled for early October.

'Split opinion'

But, the presiding Judge sent the deal back to the drawing board after criticism and objections from around the world.

Groups have until 28 January to file objections to the revised settlement to a US court, which will decide whether to approve it. Authors have the same deadline to opt-out of the project.

A fairness hearing has then been set for 18 February.

In the run up to the deadline, industry and authors have once again started mounting pressure on Google.

Fantasy writer Ursula K Le Guin has asked for the US to be excluded from the project.

In an open letter to Judge Denny Chin, who will preside over the hearing, Ms Le Guin expresses concern about the "opt-out" clause in the settlement, which she says "disguises an assault on authors' rights".

It means that unless authors in certain countries specifically do not give their permission, their books will be scanned and eventually sold in digital form by Google Books, who will share a percentage of the revenue.

"Google, like any other publisher or entity, should be required to obtain permission from the owner to purchase or use copyrighted material, item by item," she wrote.

Her letter has been signed by 365 other authors also concerned about the plan.

In addition, Ms Le Guin says that the National Writers Union, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America are against the proposed settlement.

However not all authors oppose Google's proposals. Amy Tan, Simon Winchester and the heir of John Steinbeck are among those who support the move.

"If approved by the court, this settlement stands to unlock access to millions of books in the US while giving authors and publishers new ways to distribute their work," said a Google spokespers

France ex-PM Villepin cleared of Sarkozy smear

Former French PM Dominique de Villepin has been cleared of plotting to discredit the then interior minister and now President, Nicolas Sarkozy.

He had been accused of failing to stop the Clearstream corruption inquiry into Mr Sarkozy, despite knowing the claims against his rival were false.

Both men had been hoping to succeed Jacques Chirac as president in the 2007 election.

Several other defendants in the case were found guilty on various charges.

The judge in the case said there was no proof Mr de Villepin had acted in bad faith, and he was cleared on all four counts of complicity to slander, to use forgeries, dealing in stolen property and breach of trust.

There were cheers outside the courtroom as the verdict was read out, but Mr de Villepin showed little emotion, says the BBC's Emma Jane Kirby in Paris.

After the verdict, he said outside the courtroom: "After many years of ordeal, my innocence has been recognised. I was hurt by the image of politics that was portrayed, of the commitment that I have made over the past 30 years.

"I am now looking to the future to serve the French people and contribute in a spirit of unity to the recovery of France."

The former prime minister is now likely to relaunch his political career and to challenge President Sarkozy in the next general election in 2012, our correspondent says.

His acquittal will be a bitter blow to Mr Sarkozy, who is celebrating his 55th birthday on Thursday, and who had promised he would "hang from a butcher's hook" for trying to smear his name, she adds.

Complex investigation

In 2004, Mr Sarkozy's name appeared on a list of top politicians and businessmen who were wrongly linked to an illegal bank account in Luxembourg.

It was alleged those named on the list had received bribes from international arms sales.

The list was sent to people including Mr de Villepin, who was accused of failing to stop the conspiracy.

During the investigation, Mr De Villepin admitted he knew of the documents - but the court found no evidence to prove he had known they had been faked.

At the trial, prosecutors had called for him to receive an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 45,000 euros (£39,000).

Three other defendants were convicted, including a former executive of the EADS aerospace group, Jean-Louis Gergorin, who admitted leaking the fake list to investigators, and Imad Lahoud, a computer specialist, who confessed to adding Mr Sarkozy's name to the list.

They were respectively sentenced to three years in prison with 21 months suspended and three years in prison with 18 months suspended.

orth and South Korea exchange fire near sea border

North Korea has fired artillery shots near the disputed sea border with South Korea and the South has returned fire. The North fired shells into the sea near Baengnyeong Island off the the South's western coast, South Korean news agency Yonhap said. North Korea said the firing was part of an annual military drill, adding that it would continue. On Tuesday, North Korea declared a no-sail zone in waters off its coast, media reports say. South Korea officials said the exchange caused no casualties or damage. The North fired into waters near the border just after 0900 local time (2400 GMT), a spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP. "Our military immediately fired back in response," a Seoul presidential official told the news agency on condition of anonymity. A statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency says its drills "will go on in the same waters in the future, too". Just hours after the initial exchange, reports from South Korea said that the North had fired more shells in the direction of the disputed border. It is not clear where they landed. Constant tension The South Korean official said the North's initial artillery rounds landed north of the sea border, while Seoul's forces fired at the rounds while they were in the air, AFP reports. The western sea border is a constant source of military tension between the two Koreas. There have been three deadly exchanges between the two Koreas along the sea border in the past decade. In the most recent incident, last November, their navies fought a brief gun battle that left one North Korean sailor dead and three others wounded. The BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says this latest exchange is being interpreted as another attempt by North Korea to increase tension and stress the instability on the peninsula, thus helping it to gain diplomatic concessions. Talks off South Korea recognises the Northern Limit Line, drawn unilaterally by the US-led United Nations Command at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, which has never been accepted by North Korea. Recent talks between the two Koreas about their jointly-run Kaesong industrial estate closed without agreement on 21 January. The attempt at dialogue took place amid fresh tensions apparently provoked by a South Korean think tank's analysis of a likely military coup or mass uprising in the North when the North's leader Kim Jong-il dies. North Korea did recently accept a small amount of aid from South Korea however. The US, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea speak regularly of their hopes that North Korea will rejoin international talks about ending its nuclear programme.

Sri Lanka president wins re-election - state TV

Soldiers have surrounded the hotel where Gen Sarath Fonseka is staying

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has won Sri Lanka's first election since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war, state TV reports.

Although the final results are yet to be declared, Mr Rajapaksa appears to have won more than half the votes cast.

But his election rival, Gen Sarath Fonseka, has rejected the reported result and said he will challenge it.

About 100 armed troops have surrounded the hotel in the capital, Colombo, where Gen Fonseka is staying.

A government spokesman told the BBC they did not intend to hold Gen Fonseka but were looking for army deserters.

The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan, who is in the same hotel as Gen Fonseka and other opposition leaders, says the troops' presence has created a very tense atmosphere.

A military spokesman said their deployment was a "protective measure".

Udaya Nanayakkara said that some 400 people had gathered inside the Cinnamon Lake Hotel in the capital.

"We don't know what is their motive and, as a protective measure, we have deployed troops around the hotel, and people who go in and come out are being checked," he said.

Gen Fonseka said he feared the troops planned to arrest him if he won the election, a claim denied by officials.

An opposition spokesman, Rauf Hakeem, said opposition members had appealed to the government over what he said were "high-handed tactics" intended to intimidate them.

He told reporters there were no deserters inside the hotel.

With nearly all the results in, Mr Rajapaksa had 5.9 million votes - or 58% of the total - to 3.39 million for his rival, state TV reported.

Some 70% of Sri Lanka's 14 million-strong electorate turned out to vote. However, turnout in the Tamil areas in the north-east, where the fiercest fighting occurred during the conflict, was less than 30%.

Lucien Rajakarunanayake, a spokesman for Mr Rajapaksa, told the Associated Press news agency that the president had "won a historic and resounding victory in the first free and fair elections held throughout the country since the defeat of terrorism".

In pictures: President claims victory

Supporters of Mr Rajapaksa celebrated in the streets of Colombo, waving Sri Lankan flags and setting off fireworks.

Under Sri Lanka's electoral rules, if no candidate wins 50% of ballots cast in the first count, then voters' second - or even third - preferences are tallied to determine the winner.

The BBC's Charles Haviland, in Colombo, says it is probably only a matter of time before Gen Fonseka's team concedes, but the opposition may raise certain objections as to how the election campaign was conducted.

Independent observers have been perturbed by two main elements, our correspondent says, one of which is the amount of violence in the run-up to the election - with most complaints about the perpetration of violence laid at the door of the president's side.

The other is what monitors say is the misuse of public resources and state media.

State TV in particular gave blanket coverage to Mr Rajapaksa, our correspondent says, with Gen Fonseka more or less a footnote, and public buses were used to ferry around the incumbent's campaign material.

The government has said it paid for the use of buses and other state resources but the independent election monitoring bodies are not convinced, our correspondent says.

Bitter fight

After a violent and acrimonious campaign, during which four people died and hundreds were wounded, Tuesday's election was largely peaceful.

But there were serious exceptions, especially in the Tamil-populated north.

In the city of Jaffna, the private Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said there were at least six explosions before and just after voting began.

Later there were two blasts in Vavuniya, the town near the huge camps for people displaced by the war. The organisation said it feared this was a systematic attempt to scare people away from voting.

There were also grenade attacks in the Sinhala-dominated centre and south where the fight between the two candidates has been especially bitter, our correspondent says.

It later turned out that Gen Fonseka had not been able to vote because his name was not on the register.

The two men were closely associated with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers last May but fell out soon afterwards. Gen Fonseka quit the military, complaining that he had been sidelined after the war.

The president's side accuses the general of courting separatists. The general has accused the president of plotting vote-rigging and violence, something his rival denies.

Both main candidates have promised voters costly subsidies and public sector pay rises.

Iata says airlines suffered 'worst year' in 2009

Iata expects more passengers in 2010

The year 2009 saw the biggest decline in air passenger traffic in the post-war era, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

"In terms of demand, 2009 goes into the history books as the worst year the industry has ever seen," said the group's boss Giovanni Bisignani.

Passenger traffic dropped by 3.5% from a year earlier, while freight traffic fell 10.1% as the downturn hit demand.

However, figures for December showed a rise in traffic of 1.6% on a year ago.

'Spartan year'

Despite the improvement at the end of 2009, Iata said 2010 would be a tough year for airlines the world over.

"The industry starts 2010 with some enormous challenges," Mr Bisignani said.

"The worst is behind us, but it's not time to celebrate. Adjusting to 2.5 to 3.5 years of lost growth means that airlines face another spartan year, focused on matching capacity carefully to demand and controlling costs."

African airlines suffered the most in 2009, with passenger demand down 6.8%.

Asia-Pacific and North American carriers saw demand fall by 5.8%, while European airlines suffered a 5% fall in demand.

But Middle Eastern carriers saw passenger demand climb 11.3%, while Latin American airlines experienced a 0.3% rise.

Price wars

Iata has estimated that airlines collectively lost $11bn (£6.8bn) last year, and stand to lose a further $5.6bn this year.

Analysts said that price cuts designed to attract customers would continue to eat into airlines' profits.

"Continued fare wars between airlines mean that yields and profitability will be low. Airlines are struggling to fill their airplanes and discounted ticketing has done little to alleviate the pressures on their costs," said independent airline analyst Saj Ahmad.

"Capacity has come out of the global airline system, but until a few airlines perhaps exit the industry through bankruptcy or mergers, there is still a very long road until we see serious stability, let alone growth."

Obama to announce partial government spending freeze

Mr Obama faces mounting criticism for the amount of government spending

US President Barack Obama is to announce a three-year partial spending freeze aimed at reducing the country's $1.4tn (£860bn) budget deficit.

His first State of the Union address, on Wednesday, will reveal the details.

Officials have told US media that defence, some healthcare programmes and the massive economic stimulus package will be unaffected.

Critics said the planned savings, expected to cut no more than $15bn off next year's budget, were insufficient.

But officials said the plan would result in savings of about $250bn during the next 10 years.

The spending freeze covers many domestic programmes and departments to which Congress allocates budgets each year, including agriculture, transportation and education and national parks.

Security and defence spending, foreign aid, social security and spending on healthcare for the poor and retired would be exempt.

This is like announcing you're going on a diet after winning a pie-eating contest Michael Steel Spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner

Mr Obama is facing mounting criticism for the amount of government spending and growing budget deficits.

The 2009 fiscal year saw a record $1.4tn shortfall. The 2010 deficit is expected to reach $1.35tn, according to US Congress estimates.

The freeze could make the president rein in his ambitious reform agenda, especially with regards to education and the environment.

But one administration official said it was like a family in tough times deciding on its budget.

"That's the decision-making process the president and the economic team went through," Associated Press quoted the unnamed official as saying.

"It's the very same process American families have gone through for the past several years."

Republicans say the cuts are insufficient.

"Given Washington Democrats' unprecedented spending binge, this is like announcing you're going on a diet after winning a pie-eating contest," said Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner.

Apple to unveil new product, amid swirl of speculation

All eyes in the technology world are on Apple as it prepares to unveil its latest creation, amid a swirl of speculation it is a tablet computer.

At 1800 GMT on Wednesday the company will hold a news conference in San Francisco to launch the new product.

Media and tech blogs have been in overdrive, amid rumours the product will be a keyboard-less tablet device.

For weeks, a flurry of photos and videos purporting to show the new device have been circulating.

"One never knows what Apple might or might not do on any given Wednesday in January," said Mike Gartenberg, vice-president of strategy and analysis at research firm Interpret.

Market winner?

"One thing we do know for sure is we are going to see some sort of new device or category of device."

The safe money is on the product being a tablet or slate-like computer which traditionally bridges the gap between smartphones and laptops.

"The question here is does Apple have a different take on this category? It has to be something that has a reason to exist all by itself and not something that lives between a phone and a computer," Mr Gartenberg told BBC News.

Until now the tablet market has been regarded as a middling one with revenue of around $950m (£597m).

But many industry watchers believe Apple will do for this sector what the iPod did for MP3 players.

Apple said it sold 21m iPods last quarter and, while that represented a drop of 8% on the previous year, the company boasts a 70% market share. "Our base case assumes the new tablet adds four million shipments, $3.2bn (£2.1bn) revenue and 82 cents of earnings per share in 2010, but we see potential upside to six million units," said Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty.

Interpret's Mr Gartenberg agreed.

"Apple is not building products for tens of thousands of enthusiasts. They are building products for tens of millions of customers," he said.

'Jesus Tablet'

Speculation has been rife about what this mythical device, sometimes dubbed the "Jesus Tablet", will actually do.

The closest followers of these trends are the blogs and so-called Apple fan sites which have tracked everything from patents to supposed leaks from various manufacturers and people claiming to have actual photographs.

"Apple has done an amazing job keeping this thing under wraps," Paul Miller, editor of tech blog Engadget told the BBC.

"We have just tracked eight years of rumour and speculation about a tablet device from Apple, and here we are the day before the big announcement and there is basically zero tangible information on it," said Mr Miller.

Among the rumours is that the gadget will be a gaming device, an "e-reader killer" or a really big iPhone.

Multi-touch will be at the heart of everything.

"Apple is looking at a new paradigm of user interface where the finger replaces the mouse and the keyboard," said Leander Kahney, founder of CultofMac.com and author of Inside Steve's Brain, a book about Apple boss Steve Jobs.

"This is a very important step in mainstream computing."

The tablet is expected to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi and 3G cellular networks.

'Very excited'

It will have a full browser and access to more than 125,000 software applications found in the Apple App store.

In terms of partners, Apple has reportedly been talking to publishers to bring books, newspapers and magazines to the tablet as well as to broadcasters to bring TV shows and movies to users.

Cost will be crucial and commentators say with an expected price tag of possibly between $700-$1000 (£440-£680) people could be put off.

"We're betting even die-hard adopters [those who are first to embrace new gadgets] won't be showing up en masse to buy the tablet," said Wired blogger Daniel Dumas.

For those interested in technology, the wait will soon be over. But not without Apple's boss doing his bit to whet everyone's appetite.

Mr Jobs said on Monday: "The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product we are very excited about."

Apple profits increase 50%, boosted by iPhone sales

Apple has announced a 50% increase in profits after seeing a bumper Christmas period, in which sales of iPhones doubled from a year ago.

Net income rose to $3.38bn (£2.08bn) in the three months to 26 December, from the $2.26bn it made the previous year.

Apple said it sold 8.7 million iPhones in the quarter. Sales of Macs also rose 33%, although iPod sales fell by 8%.

But the results were boosted by a new accounting standard that records revenue at the point of sale.

Previously, revenue was deferred over the life of products.

On Wednesday, the firm will announce a new product, widely expected to be a touch-screen "tablet" computer.

The company has previously used January launches to unveil products including the iPhone and the MacBook Air.

Apple shares rose $5.33, or 2.7%, to close at $203.08 in New York before the results came out.

In extended trading the shares rose a further $1.28 to $204.36.

'Phenomenal sales'

Sales in the first quarter rose to $15.7bn from $11.9bn in the same period a year ago.

Sales of the iPhone were boosted by its roll-out in China, the world's biggest mobile phone market.

Mac sales rose to 3.36 million during the quarter while sales of iPods fell to 21 million.

Analysts were impressed with the results.

"It was a very good quarter, as expected. It's a continued sign that Apple has great products that consumers want despite this recession," commented Daniel Ernst from Hudson Square Research.

"Mac sales were phenomenal as well... Macs continue to gain share and what's interesting is that it only has 3.6% share globally so there's a lot of headroom."

Apple forecast sales for the current quarter of between $11bn and $11.4bn.

"The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we're really excited about," said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.

Earlier this month, Microsoft and HP unveiled a touchscreen slate computer, ahead of Apple's much rumoured device launch.

Crashed Ethiopia plane 'flew into Beirut storm'

The Ethiopian jet that crashed into the sea off Beirut on Monday did not fly in the direction suggested by Beirut's control tower, Lebanese officials say.

Ministers said the pilot of the Ethiopian Airlines jet was asked to correct his course, but turned in the opposite direction.

It is not clear why this happened, or if it was beyond the pilot's control.

The authorities continue to search for the bodies of the 90 people on board the plane, who are all feared dead.

At least 24 bodies have been pulled from the sea so far. The authorities are also looking for the plane's flight recorders.

'Fast and strange turn'

Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi told the Associated Press news agency that the Beirut control tower had asked the pilot "to correct his path, but he did a very fast and strange turn before disappearing completely from the radar".

On Monday, Defence Minister Elias Murr said the pilot of the plane had failed to follow instructions on take-off from the control tower for unknown reasons.

"A command tower recording shows the tower told the pilot to turn to avoid the storm, but the plane went in the opposite direction," he said. "We do not know what happened or whether it was beyond the pilot's control."

Ethiopian Airlines said late on Monday the pilot had more than 20 years of experience, AP reports.

Gone

The Addis Ababa-bound flight plunged into the Mediterranean shortly after take-off from Beirut in a storm.

Flight ET409 disappeared from radar screens some five minutes after take-off at about 0200 on Monday (0000 GMT), near the village of Naameh, about 3.5km (2 miles) from the coast.

Eyewitnesses said they saw the plane fall into the sea in flames.

Some relatives of those on board have been asking why the plane was allowed to take off in such poor conditions, the BBC's Andrew North in Beirut reports.

Officials said that 83 passengers and seven crew were on board the Boeing 737-800, which can take up to 189 passengers. Most of those on the flight were Lebanese or Ethiopian.

The UK Foreign Office said there was one British national and one person of dual nationality on board.

The other passengers included citizens of Turkey, France, Russia, Canada, Syria and Iraq, Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement on its website.

Among them was Marla Pietton, the wife of the French ambassador in Beirut.

Some of the foreign passengers are reported to be of Lebanese origin.

Picasso painting ripped by New York woman's fall

A woman who was taking an art class at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has accidentally fallen into a Picasso painting and damaged it.

The painting called The Actor sustained a vertical tear of about six inches (15cm) in the lower right-hand corner.

But the damage did not affect the "focal point of the composition" and should be repaired for an exhibition later this year, the museum said.

The work from the Rose period was painted in the winter of 1904-1905.

The repair should be completed in time for the Picasso in the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, which will feature some 250 works from the museum's collection and is due to open at the end of April.

The unusually large canvas, measuring 6ft by 4ft (1.8m by 1.2m) and which depicts an acrobat posed against an abstracted backdrop, was damaged on Friday.

Movie made by chimpanzees to be broadcast on television

The world's first film shot entirely by chimpanzees is to be broadcast by the BBC as part of a natural history documentary.

The apes created the movie using a specially designed chimp-proof camera given to them by primatologists.

The film-making exercise is part of a scientific study into how chimpanzees perceive the world and each other.

It will be screened within the Natural World programme "Chimpcam" shown on BBC Two at 2000GMT on Wednesday 23 January.

Making the movie was the brainchild of primatologist Ms Betsy Herrelko, who is studying for a PhD in primate behaviour at the University of Stirling, UK.

Point and shoot with Chimpcam

Over 18 months, she introduced video technology to a group of 11 chimpanzees living in a newly built enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo, UK.

The enclosure, which contains three large interlinked outdoor arenas, as well as a series of smaller rooms in which the apes can be studied by researchers, is the largest of its kind in the world.

Despite the fact that the chimps had never taken part in a research project before, they soon displayed an interest in film-making.

Ms Herrelko set the chimps two challenges.

The first was to teach the chimps how to use a touchscreen to select different videos.

By doing so, Ms Herrelko could investigate which types of images chimps prefer to watch.

The second challenge was to give the apes a "Chimpcam", a recording camera housed in a chimp-proof box.

On top of the box was a video screen that showed live images of whatever the camera was pointing at.

Initially, the chimps were more interested in each other than the video technology, as two male chimps within the study group vied to become the alpha male, disrupting the experiment.

But over time, some of the chimps learned how to select different videos to watch.

For example, the chimps could use a touchscreen to decide whether to watch footage of their outside enclosure, or the food preparation room, where zoo staff prepare the chimps' meals.

The results still have to be analysed in detail, but it seems the chimps did not prefer to watch any of these images over the others.

Ms Herrelko is not sure why, but it could be that the images shown were too familiar to the chimps or because they have no way of asking to see something different.

Then in the final the final stage of her work, she investigated what happened when she gave the Chimpcam to the whole group.

Gradually, the chimps started playing with the Chimpcam, carrying it around the enclosure.

The chimps soon became interested in the camera view screen on the Chimpcam box, watching what happened as they moved the Chimpcam around filming new images.

Overall, they were more interested in the Chipcam viewfinder than they were the touchscreen in the research room.

The apes are unlikely to have actively tried to film any particular subject, or understand that by carrying Chimpcam around, they were making a film.

However, the result, as well as providing new information on how chimps like to see the world, may yet go down in television history.

Astronomers hopeful of detecting extra-terrestrial life

The chance of discovering life on other worlds is greater than ever, according to Britain's leading astronomer.

Lord Rees, the president of the Royal Society and Astronomer Royal, said such a discovery would be a moment which would change humanity.

It would change our view of ourselves and our place in the cosmos, he said.

His comments come as scientists gather in London for an international conference to discuss the prospect of discovering extra-terrestrial life.

Scientists have been scanning the skies for radio broadcasts from intelligent life for 50 years, and so far they have only heard static.

But the chances of discovering life now were better than ever, Lord Rees said.

He said: "Technology has advanced so that for the very first time we can actually have the realistic hope of detecting planets no bigger than the earth orbiting other stars.

"(We'll be able to learn) whether they have continents and oceans, learning what type of atmosphere they have.

"Although it is a long shot to be able to learn more about any life of them, then it's tremendous progress to be able to get some sort of image of another planet, rather like the earth orbiting another star."

The recent deployment of space telescopes capable of detecting earth-like planets around distant stars now make it possible to focus the search.

"Were we to find life, even the simplest life, elsewhere that would clearly be one of the great discoveries of the 21st Century.

"I suspect there could be life and intelligence out there in forms that we can't conceive.

"And there could, of course, be forms of intelligence beyond human capacity, beyond as much as we are beyond a chimpanzee," he added.

Ericsson cutting an extra 1,500 jobs

Swedish telecoms equipment group Ericsson has said it is cutting an extra 1,500 jobs, as it reported a 92% fall in quarterly profits.

Hit by the cost of its restructuring work, and a continuing drop in orders, its net profit for October to December was 314m kronors ($43m; £27m).

This compares with 3.89bn kronors for the same quarter in 2008.

The latest 1,500 job cuts come on top of the 5,000 positions that the company shed last year.

Ericsson said the cost of its continuing restructuring work totalled 4.3bn kronors between October and December, and 11.3bn kroners for 2009 as a whole.

Its sales for the last quarter of 2009 fell by 13% to 58.3bn kroners, as global spending on telecoms equipment continued to fall, and as Ericsson faced increased competition from China's Huawei.

Ericsson's latest results were much worse than market targets.

Analysts had expected the company to report a quarterly net profit of 3.23bn kronor.

For 2009 as a whole, Ericsson saw its net profit fall 67% to 3.7bn kronor.

"You know, the market is weak, but one might have hoped for some recovery in quarter four," said analyst Michael Andersson of Evli Bank.

"They're saved by cost cuts, and that will probably be the case in 2010, so it's in no way a disaster."

Ethiopian Airlines jet crashes into sea off Beirut

An Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane with 90 people on board has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off from Beirut airport.

Eyewitnesses say they saw a ball of fire in the sky before Addis Ababa-bound Flight ET409 fell into the sea after taking off in stormy weather.

At least 21 bodies have been found, and the airline's chief executive said there was no word of survivors.

Most of those on board were Lebanese or Ethiopian. There were also two Britons.

The UK Foreign Office said one of the Britons had dual nationality.

The other passengers included citizens of Turkey, France, Russia, Canada, Syria and Iraq, Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement on its website.

Among them was the wife of the French ambassador in Beirut, Marla Pietton.

Some of the foreign passengers are reported to be of Lebanese origin.

The plane, a Boeing 737-800, was carrying 82 passengers, including small children, and eight crew, Ethiopian Airlines said. This model can seat 189 passengers.

It disappeared from radar screens some five minutes after take-off in stormy weather at about 0200 local time, near the village of Naameh, about 3.5km (2 miles) from the coast.

'Flash in the sky'

Helicopters and naval ships are searching the crash site. It is still being described as a rescue operation, although officials say it is unlikely anyone will be found.

The United Nations peacekeeping operation in Lebanon has sent three ships and two helicopters, and a British RAF helicopter is also involved.

Lebanese soldiers are also combing nearby beaches, where pieces of the plane and debris including passenger seats, a fire extinguisher and bottles of medicine have washed up.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but the plane took off in a heavy rainstorm.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said foul play was not suspected.

"As of now, a sabotage act is unlikely. The investigation will uncover the cause," he said.

"The weather conditions are terrible, but rescue efforts are still under way."

A witness , Abdel Mahdi Salaneh, told the BBC he saw the plane fall into the sea in flames.

"We saw a flash in the sky," he said. "We saw a flash over the sea and it was the plane falling. The weather was really bad, it was all thunder and rain."

The BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi says the crash is likely to invite comparisons with the Kenya Airways crash in Cameroon in 2007, in which 114 people died.

Both incidents involved Boeing 737-800 aircraft taking off in bad weather.

Relatives of the passengers, some of them sobbing, have gathered in the airport's VIP lounge.

A tearful Andree Qusayfi told the Associated Press that his brother, 35-year-old Ziadh, had left for Ethiopia for work for a computer company.

Lebanese PM Saad Hariri said everything was being done to find the missing

"We begged him to postpone his flight because of the storm," he said. "But he insisted on going because he had work appointments."

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and other officials arrived to comfort families.

Mr Hariri declared a day of mourning, and closed schools and government offices.

Ethiopia and Lebanon share close business ties, and thousands of Ethiopians are employed as domestic helpers in Lebanon.

Fleet expanding

Ethiopian Airlines operates a regular flight between Addis Ababa and Beirut.

Our correspondent says that along with South African and Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines is widely considered to be among sub-Saharan Africa's best operators.

And on a continent with a history of national airlines folding often due to reckless financial mismanagement, he says, Ethiopian Airlines is expanding its fleet and was the first African airline to order the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

It has also just announced the purchase of another 10 737-800s, at a cost of $750m.

Its last major crash was in 1996, when a hijacked Nairobi-Addis Ababa plane was ditched into the sea off the Comoros Islands after running out of fuel.

One hundred and twenty-three of the 175 people on board were killed.

America's left-right divide: A bridge too far?

A gulf divides US Republicans and Democrats, but American voters find the idea of bipartisan politics irresistible. But for politicians, asks "TODAY IN USA" North America editor Mark Mardell, is the promise to reach out to the other side just a political game?

The banner behind the first Republican senator in Massachusetts for 30 years did not mention the name of his party.

Instead, it read The People's Seat.

The voters had taken exception to Democrats calling it "Ted Kennedy's seat" as if it was some baronial pile to be handed down without interference from the peasantry.

The victor, Scott Brown - a former nude male model now forever nicknamed Senator Beefcake - was obviously deeply moved and thrilled.

So much so, he rather burbled his acceptance speech - at one point making his daughters cringe. "They're both available," he told potential suitors.

They shot him an "Aw shucks dad!" look. But his aim was not to embarrass his daughters.

He pounded away at one theme. The people wanted to send a message to Washington. Political leaders were aloof, wanting to shove things down the throats of the people. It could not be business as usual.

Bales of hay

Scott Brown campaigned from the back of his truck

In Washington, another politician who swept to power on a wave of popular discontent, is looking glummer and grimmer by the day.

Barack Obama has only been US president for a year but his opponents are determined to portray him as the embodiment of Washington, of too much government, a government that does not know how to do anything but spend.

It is another example of this populist narrative. You go to Washington to change things, and Washington changes you.

Scott Brown had a way to say he was not like that - he drives a pickup truck.

There is something about a pickup truck. As a non-American, one that has little interest in cars, even I can feel an itch to drive one.

It is rugged, a working tool of a working man. Into its broad open back, you can sling a deer you have just shot, bales of hay or an old boiler.

Still, it is much more difficult for the man who drives around in the armoured car they call The Beast, and who sits in the White House, to convince people that he is not part of Washington.

Maybe after the campaign and all the hope expressed therein, Obama thought he did not have to stress that he was on the people's side.

But the thought that he is now, to some, the guy who is in charge, not listening and getting it wrong, seems to have just hit the White House like a thunderclap.

Obama is not really a pickup truck sort of guy. But if he had one, he would know exactly where to drive one - to New York.

Obama's campaign is against a place that has an even stronger entry in the imaginary atlas of infamy than Washington - Wall Street.

Sacred creed

His plan to split up the big banks allows him to talk about lobbyists descending on Capitol Hill and how he is going to fight them on behalf of the people. It allows him to utter the populist sacred creed: "It can't be business as usual."

When Scott Brown arrived in wicked Washington, long-serving senators seemed slightly irritated at all the attention he was getting.

Barack Obama is appealing for a united front on banking reforms

But he showed himself adept at playing one of the city's oldest games - bipartisanship.

Invited to attack President Obama by journalists, Brown noted the man's great sense of humour and how they had joked on the phone about playing basketball together.

Adding that the president had heard he is an independent sort and he looked forward to working with him.

He talked not of killing the president's health care reform plan - but of going back to the drawing board. Republicans and Democrats working together.

In the months I have been here I have been struck that bipartisanship is to many Americans, more than a hollow piety.

It is an ideology. A deep desire instilled by the founding fathers that politicians should overcome their differences and work together.

In his final speech as president, George Washington warned against the very existence of political parties. They distracted public servants, he said, they created panics and false alarms, they opened the door to corruption and even cause riots.

Americans organised themselves into two rival political camps soon after.

Deep divide

And so at first it looks like a paradox.

America is deeply divided by its politics - you can tell in a couple of minutes, whether someone you are talking to is a Republican or a Democrat, a gulf divides them. Yet people of strong views, left and right, long for bipartisan agreement.

Perhaps it is not a paradox, but pretence - a yearning that the other side will, some day, see the light.

For the politicians, it is like a game of chicken, and the president is playing it again.

It was one of Obama's election promises that he would govern in the spirit of bipartisanship.

One of the accusations against him is that he has not done so.

So, in the name of the people, in the name of common sense, he is now politely asking Republicans to join him, help him, in a plan for new laws that have shaken and infuriated the big banks.

But if they do not join him, if they do not cross from Wall Street to Main Street, he might get knocked down - by a pickup truck.