Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood leader Beltagi

Leading Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohammed al-Beltagi has been arrested, according to Egyptian officials.

Mr Beltagi, secretary-general of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), is accused of inciting violence, state media said.

Former labour minister Khaled al-Azhari was also held.

Nidal Hasan gets death penalty for Fort Hood rampage

A military jury has sentenced a former US Army psychiatrist to die by lethal injection for killing 13 soldiers and wounding 32 at a Texas Army base.

Maj Nidal Hasan, 42, was convicted last week of the November 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood.

The defendant had tried to admit his guilt but military law bans guilty pleas in death penalty cases.

The Virginia-born Muslim said he opened fire to protect Taliban insurgents from troops about to deploy to Afghanistan.

Karzai condemns Afghan attacks

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has condemned the killing of 12 civilians in two separate attacks in Afghanistan.

Mr Karzai blamed the Taliban for the attacks and said neighbouring Pakistan had failed to use its influence to bring the Taliban to join peace talks.

He said the Taliban and their backers wanted Afghanistan "impoverished and underdeveloped forever".

California Rim Fire is 'one fifth contained'

Firefighters are slowly making progress against a sprawling wildfire that is now 20% contained in and around California's Yosemite National Park.

But the Rim Fire has continued to spread and now spans more than 250 sq miles (650 sq km), officials say.

The flames are raining ash on a key reservoir that supplies water and hydro-electric power to San Francisco.

US ready to launch Syria strike, says Chuck Hagel

American forces are "ready" to launch strikes on Syria if President Barack Obama chooses to order an attack, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel says.

"We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfil and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take," Mr Hagel told the BBC.

Syria crisis: UN inspectors' convoy hit by sniper fire

Unidentified snipers have opened fire on a convoy of UN experts investigating suspected chemical weapons attacks in Syria's capital, the UN has said.

One car was shot at "multiple times", forcing the convoy to turn back.

Yosemite boundary burns in California Rim Fire

Firefighters in California are struggling to gain control of a huge wildfire which has reached the edge of Yosemite National Park.

The Rim Fire covers nearly 234 sq miles (606 sq km) and threatens a major reservoir serving San Francisco.

The fire is 15% contained after burning

Lebanese city of Tripoli rocked by deadly explosions

At least 42 people have been killed and more than 400 injured by two huge blasts in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli, health officials say.

As Friday prayers ended, a blast hit the al-Taqwa mosque, usually attended by prominent Sunni cleric Sheikh Salem Rafii. He was unharmed.

Syria 'chemical' attack: France says force may be needed

France's foreign minister has said a "reaction with force" could be needed if Syria is proved to have used chemical weapons against civilians.

Laurent Fabius's comments come a day after Syrian activists said hundreds of people died in such attacks in the Ghouta area of the capital, Damascus.

Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years in Wikileaks case

The US soldier convicted of handing a trove of secret government documents to anti-secrecy website Wikileaks has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Pte First Class Bradley Manning, 25, was convicted in July of 20 charges against him, including espionage.

Egypt court orders Hosni Mubarak freed

An Egyptian court has ordered the release on bail of former President Hosni Mubarak in a corruption case.

Reports from Cairo suggest he may be freed from prison on Thursday and state prosecutors say there can be no appeal.

The 85-year-old still faces charges of

Indian rupee falls further amid Fed stimulus concerns

The Indian rupee has fallen to a new all-time low against the US dollar, amid concerns the Federal Reserve will soon scale back its stimulus measures.

It dropped to 64.13 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday.

Foreign investors have been pulling money out of India, as the economy has slowed and the cost of borrowing in dollars has risen.

Egyptian police killed in Sinai ambush at Rafah

At least 24 Egyptian policemen have been killed in an attack by suspected militants in the Sinai peninsula.

The attack on the police convoy, close to the town of Rafah on the Gaza border, was one of the deadliest on security forces in several years.

A state of emergency is in force across Egypt amid wider political turmoil following a military crackdown on Islamists in which hundreds have died.

Obama condemns Egypt bloodshed

US President Barack Obama has strongly condemned the violence in Egypt, and cancelled joint military exercises.

He said co-operation could not continue while civilians were being killed.

Egypt's interior ministry has now stated that police are authorised to use live ammunition in self-defence.

Egypt declares national emergency

Egypt's presidency has declared a state of emergency after scores of people were killed when security forces stormed protest camps in Cairo.

The camps had been occupied by supporters of former president Mohammed Morsi, who was deposed in early July.

US moves to block merger of American Airlines and US Airways

The US justice department has filed an anti-trust case to block the merger of American Airlines and US Airways.

The $11bn (£7bn) deal, which would form the world's largest airline, was backed by a federal judge in March and has been approved by the European Union.

Japanese town to scrap marooned 'tsunami boat'

A Japanese town has decided to scrap a marooned fishing boat which has become a symbol of the devastating 2011 tsunami, officials say.

Residents of Kesennuma in Miyagi prefecture voted to scrap the Kyotoku Maru No 18 - swept inland by a giant wave triggered by a strong earthquake.

Peru's security forces kill three Shining Path rebels

Three Shining Path rebels, including a top leader, have been killed by the security forces in Peru, according to the interior minister.

Wilfredo Pedraza said the guerrillas were shot dead in the country's south.

Among those killed is Alejandro Borda Casafranca, better known as Comrade Alipio, accused of being the number two in the Maoist rebel movement.

Fire at Venezuela's Puerto La Cruz oil refinery 'over'

The vice-president of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, Asdrubal Chavez, has said the blaze at one of the country's largest oil refineries has been extinguished.

Officials say lightning sparked the fire at a storage tank of the Puerto La Cruz refinery, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky and leading to the evacuation of the surrounding area.

Robert Mugabe delivers Zimbabwe attack on MDC rivals

Robert Mugabe has launched a stinging attack on his opposition rivals in his first public speech since he won Zimbabwe's disputed presidential election.

Rejecting PM Morgan Tsvangirai's claims that the vote was stolen, he said those against him could "go hang".

Turkey alert after Syria-linked pilots' kidnap in Beirut

Two pilots working for Turkish Airlines have been abducted in Lebanon, near Beirut's international airport.

The men were snatched from a bus which was carrying several other crew members and passengers between a hotel and the airport terminal.

Zimbabwe's MDC challenges Robert Mugabe election victory

Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has filed a legal challenge to Robert Mugabe's victory in last week's presidential elections.

The electoral petition seeks an order for the result to be declared null and void and a new election to be called within 60 days.

Colombia coca area down by 25% - UN

The area of land planted with coca - the raw ingredient for cocaine - in Colombia has fallen by 25%, a UN report has said.

The land under coca cultivation is now about a third of that in 2001, says the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

While coca areas fell nationwide, they rose in three provinces plagued by rebels and drug gangs.

Pope Francis tightens Vatican bank controls

The Pope has stepped up the fight against corruption at the Vatican by strengthening supervision of financial transactions at its internal bank.

Pope Francis issued a decree designed to combat money-laundering and prevent any financing of terrorism.

It is the latest move to stamp out abuses at the Vatican bank, which handles funds for the Catholic Church.

Pakistan Quetta suicide bomber kills at least 28 people

A suicide bombing at a funeral for a policeman in south-western Pakistan has killed at least 28 people including a senior police officer, police say.

They say that the blast in Quetta, capital of Balochistan, also wounded at least 50 people.

Quetta police chief Mir Zubair Mehmood told the AP news agency that the bomber detonated his explosives just before the funeral service was about to start.

Ariel Castro 'hell' house demolished in Cleveland

The house in Cleveland, Ohio, where Ariel Castro held three women in brutal captivity for years has been torn down.

At about 07:30 local time (11:30 GMT), a wrecking machine smashed through the house to begin the demolition.

Castro, 53, a former school bus driver, was sentenced to life in prison last week after pleading guilty to dozens of rape, kidnapping and other charges.

Africa travel hit after fire ravages Nairobi airport

Air travellers across Africa are facing long delays after a huge fire ripped through the main airport in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, forcing its closure.

Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded outside Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

It has reopened for cargo and domestic services, though many flights have been diverted to other regional airports.

Obama cancels Putin meeting over Snowden asylum

US President Barack Obama has cancelled a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia's decision to grant asylum to intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, the White House said.

But Mr Obama will still attend the G20 economic talks in St Petersburg.

A White House aide said Mr Snowden's

US trade deficit narrows to $34.2bn in June

The US trade deficit fell by 22.4% to $34.2bn (£22.3bn) in June, the smallest gap since October 2009.

The percentage contraction was also the largest since February 2009.

The three-month average of the trade deficit, which irons out monthly volatility, also fell to $39.5bn in the three months to June from $40.5bn in the previous period.

George W Bush has heart stent operation

Former US President George W Bush has undergone successful heart surgery in Dallas, Texas, after doctors found an artery blockage, a spokesman has said.

Mr Bush had a stent inserted on Tuesday morning, a day after the blockage was discovered during a routine check-up.

Iran's new leader Rouhani urges 'serious' nuclear talks

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has called for "serious and substantive" negotiations with the international community about its nuclear programme.

At the first news conference since his inauguration on Sunday, Mr Rouhani said he was confident both sides' concerns could be resolved in a short time.

Turkey Ergenekon case: Ex-army chief Basbug gets life

Turkey's former armed forces chief has been jailed for life for plotting to overthrow the government, after five years of trials involving officers, lawyers, writers and journalists.

Gen Ilker Basbug was among dozens of people convicted of involvement in the so-called Ergenekon plot.

Critics of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have accused him of staging

Selfish traits not favoured by evolution, study shows

Evolution does not favour selfish people, according to new research.

This challenges a previous theory which suggested it was preferable to put yourself first.

Instead, it pays to be co-operative, shown in a model of "the prisoner's dilemma", a scenario of game theory - the study of strategic decision-making.

Published in Nature Communications, the team says their work shows that exhibiting only selfish traits would have made us become extinct.

Game theory involves devising "games" to simulate situations of conflict or co-operation. It allows researchers to unravel complex decision-making strategies and to establish why certain types of behaviour among individuals emerge.
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US in worldwide travel alert after 'al-Qaeda threat'

The US state department has issued a global travel alert because of an unspecified al-Qaeda threat.

In a statement, the department said the potential for an attack was particularly strong in the Middle East and North Africa.

It comes shortly after the US announced nearly two dozen embassies and consulates would be shut on Sunday.

Ariel Castro is sentenced for Cleveland abductions

One of three women held in an Ohio home for about a decade has told their captor he will "face hell for eternity", as he was jailed for life.

Michelle Knight, 32, wept as she delivered her victim impact statement before Ariel Castro.

The 53-year-old former school bus driver, who was imprisoned for life without

Italy ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi jail term confirmed

Italy's supreme court has upheld a one-year prison sentence given to former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud.

It is the billionaire businessman's first definitive conviction in up to 30 court cases on a variety of charges.

However, the court ordered a review of a five-year ban on public office that was part of the original sentence.