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Yemen Declares Ceasefire With Northern Rebels

Yemeni authorities have declared a north truce with rebels fighting government troops.

Cease-fire, which at midnight local time (GMT 2100) came in began and how the struggle to end the day of talks between the government and rebels.

Rebel leader known as Huthis, his men ordered to comply with the cease-fire.

Yemen has been fighting the army rebels since 2004. More than 250,000 were displaced in the region.

Government in August against rebels began their latest assault. Saudi Arabia has also been prepared in the struggle.

Many observers say that the question is how long the cease-fire declared last May.

Yemeni government still empathize with southern separatists and Al Qaeda militants fighting against two others: is facing.

The rebel statement

Fighting fire with news of a presidential decree read on state television came in. "We decided to stop military operations in the north, west of midnight," said decree.

In response, in a statement, rebel leader Abdul Malik Badr Eddin al-fighters ", stop fighting on all fronts by the government has announced within hours."

"Once the ceasefire is a standard, and then open roads and checkpoints and barriers have to move," the statement added.

The move comes after it was informed that several rebels had accepted the terms, Saudi Arabia for a pledge, taken by the Government to prevent fighting for includes not attack.

Zaidi minority Shia community in the province of Saada based Houthi rebels, North West District has been fighting for more than five years.

Three Dead in Indian Kashmir

Three people, including a senior police official, were killed in violence in Indian-administered Kashmir, police sources said.

Two soldiers died when gunmen fired on a police patrol in the town of Sopore north of summer capital Srinagar.

One civilian was killed in Srinagar on Friday after he was allegedly killed by Indian paramilitary groups.

The incident occurred when the Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley remained closed for a fourth day.

Closed after violent protests in Srinagar to protest the killing of 15-year-old boy on Sunday.

Farouk Wamiq wounded in the head by a tear gas and police dispersed a protest in the city against the Indian government.

The officer who fired the fatal bullet that killed the boy had been suspended.

Witnesses said Wamiq had gone to play cricket was not among the protesters who clashed with police on Sunday.

Prayer Commentary

Major cities in the valley of Kashmir and stop the closure of the fourth day in protest at the killing.

There are a number of separatist leaders like Mirwaiz Umar Farooq - considered a moderate - which usually address the congregation on Friday - had been placed under house arrest.

Another prominent separatist leader, Shabir Ahmed Shah, was also arrested.

The pro-India People's main opposition Democratic Party (NDP), said that the discontent among the youth of Kashmir by the stalled peace process between India and Pakistan.

Anti-India sentiment rooted in Muslim majority Kashmir, which is in all of India and Pakistan claim sovereignty and have fought two wars

In the latest violence in Sopore, a policeman and a civilian were injured, and those who died.

Iran Upbeat on the Exchange of Uranium: Mottaki

Iran expects good prospects for reaching an agreement with world powers in exchange of some of the low-enriched uranium to the high-grade fuel could be used in a reactor to produce medical isotopes.

Such an arrangement could represent a breakthrough in the longstanding feud over Iran's nuclear program, but it was unclear whether the conditions for Iran will not be acceptable to the United States and others.

"I personally have created a fertile ground for the exchange of its kind in the not too distant future, and said," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki at the annual security conference in Munich.

But he said he should be for Tehran to determine the amounts to be exchanged, on the basis of your requirements.

Exchange agreement uranium is first discussed in the last year between Iran and six world powers, who saw it as a way to ensure that Iran does not enrich uranium to a level that would be suitable for use in making a nuclear bomb.

But Tehran, which denies any intent to make the bomb, did not respond to the proposal of the group - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - until this week.

Mottaki said on Saturday and discussed the exchange with the new President of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, irrespective of the Munich conference.

"We believe that all parties had demonstrated the political will to achieve this exchange," he said, without mentioning names of certain countries.

Iran is prepared to deliver enriched uranium to 3.5 percent and is 20 percent enriched uranium to use in exchange for Tehran's reactor to produce medical isotopes, he said.

"There must be a guarantee for both parties to be 3.5 per cent due to the certainty of 20 percent will be given to ensure new," he said.

Mottaki said the three elements''to reach an agreement and the timing, location and quantity.

But Iran wants the fuel delivery in two waves, and says the extradition process should be carried out on Iranian soil, the Times said Saturday, citing a copy of the written proposals Tehran gives Members of Parliament British.

All these conditions are part of many previous initiatives that Iran was rejected by the West, he said.

Mottaki said Iran acknowledged it could take several months to its negotiating partners for the production of fuel, 20 percent needed for the reactor in Tehran. "We can understand this period of production," he said.

Once ready, can be "exchanged at the same time" with low-enriched uranium in Iran. He said this should happen.

In another case could be an obstacle, he emphasized it must be for Iran to determine the amounts.

"We have asked the amount must be declared by the enriched uranium is used and the amount will be announced on the basis of our need, and this is the most important point," he said.

In an initial reaction of caution, urged the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, and share a platform with Mottaki said Iran was to formalize proposals by the IAEA and the IAEA of nuclear energy.

"Schedule a meeting as soon as possible in accordance with the agreement (with the six powers) on 1 October," said Bildt.

"Go to International Atomic Energy Agency of the last things that you are referring to prepare and submit a proposal for them.

Iran announced earlier this week, the U.S. is pushing for a fourth round of UN sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program, but runs into resistance from China.

Washington believes Iran has stonewalled the international community for years, deliberately prolonging the conflict, while continuing to enrich uranium.

Airlines Canceld Flights in the Mid-Atlantic Regions

The severe storm hit the United States Atlantic on Saturday, and dumping large amounts of snow, and make travel to fall asleep.

Snowfall totals from 20 to 30 inches (51 to 76 cm) and is expected from Virginia to southern New Jersey on Saturday night when the storm is expected to go to the sea.

About 10 inches (25 centimeters of snow had fallen by 1 am local time (0600 GMT) in Washington, DC, and local meteorologists said the storm could bring the heaviest snowfall in 90 years in the Washington area.

Strong winds caused blizzard conditions, especially along the Atlantic coast, with winds to 40 miles (64 kilometers per hour.

Most of the flights were canceled Saturday in Washington and three in the Baltimore area in major airports, Philadelphia International Airport.

Leadership in the region seriously and authorities advised drivers to stay away from roads.

Service Washington subway train will operate only on Saturday and the bus service has been canceled.

Amtrak canceled a number of trains on Saturday between Washington and New York, and between Washington and some places in the south.

Thousands of houses and cut off electricity in the Washington area and heavy wet snow and heavy trees and power lines.

The storm brought the closure of schools and long lines at the supermarket on Friday and rushed Frantic residents of the area to store food and other supplies before the weekend to see the traditional Super Bowl Sunday, a football game.

Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, each declared snow emergencies, allowing them to activate the emergency agencies, including the National Guard to help in the preparation of an attack in the winter and face the consequences.

Storm government offices in the United States in the Washington area to close for four hours Friday morning.

Smithsonian museums and National Zoo will close on Saturday in Washington.

Temperatures are unusually cold after the storm is expected next week in the northeast United States, which is the world's largest market for heating oil, Midwest, and the hub of demand for natural gas.

The field of cold helped to strengthen the New York market in natural gas in the winter Far on Friday, when prices reached about $ 11.50 per million British thermal units, on average, to over $ 4 for starting Thursday.

Chicago Spot gas rose 10 cents to more than $ 5.70. At the same time, heating oil was little changed.

"When we get through the storm the weekend, it will be cooler than the air, invaded the north-east and mid-Atlantic Ocean, and the outlook for a third of the north-east of the country next week and looking a lot cooler than normal," said Jim Rouiller, meteorologist with private forecaster Planalytics change energy.

The same weather system brought heavy rains in parts of south-eastern United States, including the Carolina and Georgia, while a new feed with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.

US deployment raises tensions in strategic Gulf

DUBAI - US deployment of anti-missile defences off Iran’s coast and in a number of its Gulf Arab

Deployment of anti-missile defences off Iran’s coast and in a number of its Gulf Arab neighbours is certain to fuel tensions in a strategic region that supplies a third of the world’s oil, analysts say.

“This will make Iran more nervous,” said Mustafa Alani, head of security research at the Dubai-based Gulf Research Centre.

To counter a perceived threat from a controversial Iranian nuclear programme and Tehran’s advancing missile capabilities, Washington has said it is deploying anti-missile weapons systems in the region.

The move is unlikely to please Iran, which has already warned its Arab neighbours in the Gulf not to take part in US moves against the Islamic republic.

But Tehran is likely to take comfort from the announcement in Washington that the US military failed on Sunday to shoot down a ballistic missile in a test resembling an Iranian or North Korean strike.

On Tuesday, Tehran slammed the US plans, insisting Iran poses no danger to its Arab neighbours which had more to fear from Washington’s interference in the region.

“American officials do not realise that they are the problems in the region. The more equipment you bring in, the more it worries the countries where they are deployed,” parliament speaker Ali Larijani said.

“Has Iran ever committed any aggression against any neighbours or the region?” he asked.

The US administration is reportedly placing specialised ships with missile-targeting capabilities off Iran’s coast, and anti-missile systems in at least four Gulf states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia has long had the Patriot missile defence system, while the UAE placed an order in 2008. Bahrain is also home to the US Navy Fifth fleet, Qatar hosts the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Kuwait has a large US military base.

“Iranians will interpret this as an opening shot in the intensification of US military agenda,” said Professor Anoush Ehteshami, Iran and Gulf expert at Durham University in Britain.

“Tehran will see this as America putting indirect pressure on Iran by extending the security umbrella over Iran’s neighbours,” he told AFP by telephone.

The US administration has not publicly spoken about the reasons for the deployment.

But the New York Times quoted a senior administration official as saying that the moves were meant to deter Iran, and to reassure Israel, which is Tehran’s regional arch-foe.

“Our first goal is to deter the Iranians,” the unidentified official told the newspaper on Saturday.

“A second is to reassure the Arab states, so they don’t feel they have to go nuclear themselves. But there is certainly an element of calming the Israelis as well,” he was quoted as saying.

The US moves follow the failure of UN-led nuclear talks in Vienna between Iran and six major powers. Last month at the talks, Iran refused to forego its uranium enrichment, leaving itself open to international sanctions.

Tehran insists that its nuclear programme is peaceful, but there are suspicions in the West that it may also be working on a covert nuclear bomb.

On Sunday, a radar malfunction was blamed for the failure of a US military test to intercept a ballistic missile resembling an Iranian or North Korean strike.

Washington is seeking to win over its allies to slap a fourth set of UN sanctions on Iran that would target Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, which it believes controls the military aspect of Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Alani said Washington is aiming to contain Iran’s threat, if it were to act militarily, by limiting its missile capabilities.

“The only strategic asset for Iran is the Shahab (ballistic) missile system. The Americans have decided now to take this advantage out, through paralysing it with an anti-missile system in the region,” he said.

General David Petraeus, head of CENTCOM which oversees US military operations stretching from the Gulf to Central Asia, said the accelerated deployment of missile systems included eight Patriot missile batteries, “two in each of four countries.”

The United States was also keeping Aegis guided missile cruisers, equipped with advanced radar and anti-missile systems that can intercept medium-range missiles, on patrol in the Gulf at all times, according to Petraeus.

US men held in Pakistan claim 'set up' by police

Five US citizens held in Pakistan on suspicion of plotting attacks have again protested their innocence, saying they have been "set up" and tortured.

One of the suspects threw a scrap of toilet paper - with writing on it which detailed their claims - from the window of a van as they arrived at court.

The men were appearing at a pre-trial hearing in the city of Sargodha.

They deny claims they were plotting attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan and had sought links with extremists.

Their lawyer, Khalid Khawaja, told that the men would apply for bail on 8 February.

"The state has no real case against them and is now clutching at straws," he said, pointing out that formal charges have still to be made.

"They have failed to produce any strong evidence so far."

Mr Khawaja said that he hoped to file a petition on Wednesday for the court to dismiss charges against the five because of a lack of evidence.

'Innocent'

The note written on toilet paper read: "Since our arrest the USA, the FBI and Pakistani police have tortured us. They are trying to set us up. We are innocent. They are trying to keep us from the public, media, our families and our lawyers. Help us."

The message was signed by "Waqar, Ahmed, Ramy, Umar, Aman" - the names of the five US citizens. Correspondents say that shouts of "we have been tortured" were also heard from the van.

The men, aged between 18 and 25, were arrested in Sargodha in December on suspicion of trying to contact al-Qaeda-linked groups and to plot attacks against Pakistan and its allies.

Pakistani officials say the men were planning to travel to Afghanistan to fight with the Taliban. The men have denied links to al-Qaeda and insist that they wanted to go to Afghanistan for charity work.

They face life imprisonment if put on trial and found guilty. A Pakistani court has barred their deportation to the US.

Pakistan troops 'capture Taliban base in Bajaur'

A major Taliban base in the north-western tribal region of Bajaur has been captured by Pakistani troops after days of fierce fighting, officials say.

Troops are now advancing on the militants' main training area in the Damadola district of Bajaur.

Local residents say hundreds of people are fleeing the area to escape the fighting.

Militants have recently re-established themselves in Bajaur after a military offensive drove them out in 2008.

Security forces overran the Sewai area in the Mamund district of Bajaur on Sunday night, a senior official in Bajaur's main town, Khar, told.

The official said that troops had captured several important heights in the area during Monday's fighting.

The army has been pounding Taliban positions using fighter jets and helicopter gunships.

At least 15 militants and one soldier were reported killed.

Deteriorating security

In February 2009, the army said Bajaur had been cleared of Taliban militants following a military operation launched in August 2008.

But recently the security situation has been deteriorating.

Correspondents say that numerous attacks over the last six months show the militants still maintain a significant presence in the area.

Close to the Afghan border, Bajaur has long been suspected of being a possible hiding-place of Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and other top al-Qaeda leaders.

Pakistan's military has been focusing on a major offensive, launched in October 2008 in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan.

But some analysts say that military operation has simply displaced militants to other parts of the tribal belt.

Iran's Mousavi says he will continue fight for reform

Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has said he will continue his struggle against the government.

In a statement posted on his website, Mr Mousavi said the 1979 Islamic revolution had failed to achieve most of its goals.

He said politically motivated arrests of protesters were illegal and more should be done to secure people's rights.

His comments constitute one of his strongest challenges to the government.

They also come at a particularly sensitive time. Iran will mark the 31st anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Republic on 11 February.

As one of the key players in the founding of the Islamic Republic, his comments have extra resonance.

Correspondent says Mr Mousavi's comments will outrage hard-line supporters of the government. He is now pushing to the very limit of what he can say without being arrested.

Call for rallies

The anniversary is one of the most important dates in Iran's political calendar. Mr Mousavi and his reformist ally Mehdi Karroubi have called on their supporters to attend rallies on the day of the anniversary.

But hardliners, including the country's supreme leader, have warned that anti-government protests will not be tolerated.

Tensions in Iran are still high after bloody demonstrations during the Shia ritual of Ashura in December when eight protesters were killed and officials said over 1,000 were arrested.

Mr Mousavi's nephew Seyed Ali Mousavi was among those killed.

The December clashes were the worst episode of violence since the aftermath of last June's disputed presidential election and subsequent government crackdown.

On Tuesday the government threatened to execute nine people who were allegedly arrested during the post-election unrest that erupted after the vote that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.

"The green movement will not abandon its peaceful fight... until people's rights are preserved," Mr Mousavi wrote on his Kalemeh website. "Peaceful protests are Iranians' right."

Mr Mousavi also said that the Islamic revolution in Iran had failed to eradicate the "roots of tyranny and dictatorship" that, he said, marked the shah's era.

He said he no longer believed, as he once did, "that the revolution had removed all those structures which could lead to totalitarianism and dictatorship".

"Today, one can identify both elements and foundations which produce dictatorship as well as resistance against returning to this dictatorship," he said.

"Stifling the media, filling the prisons and brutally killing people who peacefully demand their rights in the streets indicate the roots of tyranny and dictatorship remain from the monarchist era. I don't believe that the revolution achieved its goals," Mr Mousavi added.

Last month Mr Mousavi said that he was not afraid to die for the cause of reform.

US jury considers Pakistani neuroscientist charge

Prosecutors have said a Pakistani woman accused of shooting at US agents was determined to kill them, in the closing arguments of her trial in New York.

The jury has now retired to consider a charge of attempted murder against 37-year-old neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui.

She is alleged to have used a rifle to shoot at US agents while waiting to be questioned in Afghanistan.

Her defence team claims that there is no forensic evidence the rifle alleged to have been used was ever fired.

None of the US soldiers or agents in the room was injured in the incident, but Ms Siddiqui herself was shot.

She maintains she is innocent.

"She saw her chance to kill Americans and she took it," Assistant US Attorney Christopher La Vigne told jurors in New York on Monday.

"Not only did she have the motive and intent to harm the United States, she had the know-how to do it," he said.

The prosecutor called her a liar, adding that Ms Siddiqui was "no shrinking violet".

But Ms Siddiqui's defence lawyer, Linda Moreno, said the forensic evidence was weak: no bullets, shell casings or bullet debris were recovered from the scene.

She also said that the government's eye-witnesses contradicted each other in their testimony, the Reuters news agency reported.

"Let's leave behind the fear and talk about what the evidence tells us," Ms Moreno said.

'Secret prison'

Ms Siddiqui was taken into custody by Afghan police in July 2008 on suspicion of carrying containers of unidentified chemicals and notes referring to "mass-casualty attacks" in New York.

She was not charged in connection with possessing hazardous materials or plotting terrorist attacks, but only over the alleged shooting incident.

The trial heard evidence from US Army Capt Robert Snyder, who said that an unnamed soldier created a deadly risk by not securing his weapon at an Afghan police outpost on 18 July 2008.

Prosecutors allege that while being detained at that outpost, Ms Siddiqui grabbed the weapon and fired it.

As her trial opened on 20 January, Ms Siddiqui interrupted proceedings to shout at the jury that while in Afghanistan she had been held in a "secret prison... where children were tortured".

Wife pleads for missing Sri Lanka journalist

The wife of a Sri Lankan journalist who mysteriously disappeared one week ago has pleaded that he be freed by whoever is holding him.

Prageeth Eknaligoda's colleagues said he wrote articles favourable to losing presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka.

Gen Fonseka lost last Tuesday's election to the incumbent President, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Media rights groups have also condemned the government for shutting down a newspaper critical of the government.

Mr Eknaligoda, a writer for the website lankaenews.com, left home last Sunday morning but has not been heard from since he phoned a colleague that evening, a call that was abruptly cut off.

Emergency regulations

His wife, Sandhya, has told a Sunday newspaper that she and their two sons have not slept for days, saying: "My plea to whoever has Prageeth is to please send him back home".

The website has shut itself down after police searched its premises.

At the same time, local media groups have condemned the authorities' forced suspension of a pro-opposition newspaper, Lanka, and the arrest of its editor.

Their statement accused the government of launching "repression" against media outlets that did not obey government orders or that expressed dissenting voices.

The director of the Criminal Investigation Department told, the editor was being held under emergency regulations, because a recent article might have violated rules on government inquiries into terrorism.

Since the president's election victory, the government has moved to secure its position.

On Friday, it raided the Gen Fonseka's office, arresting 13 people.

It has also detained a serving brigadier who once served directly under Gen Fonseka and has reshuffled many senior military officers.

The Sunday Times newspaper says the move has demoted many suspected of favouring the general.

Gaddafi thwarted over African Union presidency

Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi has failed in his bid to stay on as president of the African Union for another year.

At the annual AU summit in Ethiopia, leaders from 53 African countries chose the president of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika, to take his place.

A orrespondent at the summit says Col Gaddafi was very reluctant to stand down, causing considerable resentment.

He used his farewell speech to call for political unity in Africa.

Earlier UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged African leaders to work for national unity in Sudan to prevent the south seceding from the north.

Mr Ban said both the UN and AU had a big responsibility "to maintain peace in Sudan and make unity attractive".

A referendum is due next year on whether the oil-rich south should become independent.

Renewed efforts

Libya has chaired the AU for the past year, and under the system of rotating regional blocs, the job was due to go to a southern African leader.

However, Mr Gaddafi wanted to extend the term. He had the support of Tunisia, and is said to have won over some smaller countries by paying their AU membership dues.

Malawi was apparently backed solidly for the role by southern and eastern African countries.

The correspondent says the organisation needed a country chair with strong financial muscle, like Libya, but also needed to be seen to be respecting its own rules and processes.

After conceding the presidency, Mr Gaddafi said he would continue to promote his vision of a "United States of Africa", adding that he did not need to keep the title of AU head.

"My brother president of the Republic of Malawi will replace me and take over," he said.

"There is no need for any title, I'll remain in the front struggling."

The theme of the three-day AU summit in Addis Ababa is information and technology.

In an opening speech to the African leaders, Mr Ban called for renewed efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals, which include reducing poverty, disease and child mortality, ahead of their target date of 2015.

"We have seen a sharp decrease in malaria and measles deaths across the continent, virtual gains in primary school enrolment, marked improvement in child health," he said.

"We must build on these successes and help spread them around the world."

Heads of states will also be discussing, among other issues, the escalating violence in Somalia.

High tensions

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has said he will accept the result of a referendum even if the south voted for independence.

"Whatever the result of the [southern Sudan's] referendum we have to think how to manage the outcome," Mr Ban said in an interview to radio.

"It is very important for Sudan but also for the region. We'll work hard to avoid a possible secession," he added.

Sudan's mainly Muslim north and the animist and Christian south ended a two-decade war in 2005 and joined a unity government.

But tensions remain high ahead of the country's first genuine multi-party national elections since 1986, due in April.

The south, which has a semi-autonomous government, is likely to vote to secede from the north in the 2011 referendum, correspondents say.

States renew vows to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Governments around the world have reaffirmed their plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions in support of last month's Copenhagen climate summit.

Nations signing up to the summit accord were urged to outline pledges by Sunday. States producing at least two-thirds of emissions have done so.

Correspondents say the accord is widely seen as a disappointment.

However, the level of support for it is seen as an indicator of prospects for a legally binding deal later in the year.

Many developing countries who face the worst impacts from climate change seem willing to sign up to the agreement, as it includes firm commitments on funding in both the short and the medium terms.

But others are unhappy with the idea that the accord could become a new basis of negotiations towards a legally binding treaty, and it is feared that some may refuse to associate with it.

Lacking teeth

Governments around the world have reaffirmed their plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions in support of last month's Copenhagen climate summit.

Nations signing up to the summit accord were urged to outline pledges by Sunday. States producing at least two-thirds of emissions have done so.

Correspondents say the accord is widely seen as a disappointment.

However, the level of support for it is seen as an indicator of prospects for a legally binding deal later in the year.

Many developing countries who face the worst impacts from climate change seem willing to sign up to the agreement, as it includes firm commitments on funding in both the short and the medium terms.

But others are unhappy with the idea that the accord could become a new basis of negotiations towards a legally binding treaty, and it is feared that some may refuse to associate with it.

Lacking teeth

The UN's Climate Change Secretariat says it will publish a list of signatories on Monday.

Leading emitters such as the US, India, China and the EU have already written in.

Some smaller emitters have also sent pledges or asked to be associated with the deal.

December's Copenhagen climate conference reached an accord including a recognition to limit temperature rises to less than 2C (3.6F).

It also promises to deliver $30bn (£18.5bn) of aid for developing nations over the next three years, to cope with the impact of climate change, and further funds to help them reduce emissions.

But analysts say the accord looks unlikely to contain temperature rises to within 2C, the threshold that UN scientists say is needed to avert serious climate change.

Environmentalists and aid agencies have branded it a failure, but UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described the deal as an "essential beginning".

Environment reporter says the accord lacks teeth and does not include any clear targets on cutting emissions.

But if most countries at least signal what they intend to do to cut their emissions, it will mark the first time that the UN has a comprehensive written collection of promised actions, he says.

The next round of negotiations is due to be held in December in Cancun, Mexico.

It is unclear whether a legally binding deal can be reached at Cancun, amid uncertainties such as about whether the US Congress can pass a bill which includes emissions reductions.

Pakistani Taliban chief Mehsud buried - state TV

There are fresh claims that the Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud is dead, after state TV reported that he had been buried.

But within hours of the report the Taliban again denied Mehsud had been killed and challenged reporters to provide proof of it.

Pakistan's army said it could not confirm the death and said its agents were seeking clarification.

Reports of Mehsud's death first began after a drone strike on 14 January.

US drones have mounted numerous missile strikes in recent years, and killed the Taliban's former leader, Baitullah Mehsud, last August.

North and South Waziristan - where the Mehsud tribe comes from - are major sanctuaries for militants.

The army launched an offensive against the militants in South Waziristan in October and is under US pressure to do the same in North Waziristan.

'Alive and safe'

The state broadcaster reported the burial without giving any sources.

A tribal elder told the news agency on Sunday that he had attended Mehsud's funeral in the Mamuzai area of Orakzai on Thursday.

He was speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from the Taliban.

But the chief Taliban spokesman, Azam Tariq, dismissed the reports.

"Hakimullah is alive and safe," he told AFP news agency by telephone from an unknown location.

"The purpose of stories regarding his death is to create differences among Taliban ranks but such people will never succeed."

He stressed that the Taliban had released two audio tapes of Hakimullah Mehsud speaking since the 14 January attack on a compound in the Shaktoi area, in which 10 suspected militants died.

"People who are saying that Hakimullah has died should provide proof of it," the Taliban spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani army's chief spokesman, Maj Gen Athar Abbas, said that his sources had no information either to confirm or deny Mehsud's death.

In another development, Reuters news agency quoted Pakistani intelligence officials as saying that Mehsud may have been targeted in a follow-up drone strike on 17 January.

The officials said they had received unconfirmed reports that he may have died of wounds sustained when a drone fired on two vehicles carrying militants in North Waziristan.

Drone contrvoversy

Hakimullah Mehsud recently appeared in a video alongside a Jordanian man alleged to have killed seven CIA agents in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan.

He has led the Pakistani Taliban since Baitullah Mehsud's death last summer.

It took the Taliban a number of weeks to admit that its previous leader had been hit in a missile strike.

Pakistan has publicly criticised drone attacks, saying they fuel support for the militants. But observers say in private the authorities have given the go-ahead for the strikes.

The US military does not routinely confirm such attacks, but analysts say the US armed forces and CIA in Afghanistan are the only forces capable of deploying drones in the region.

US defends $6.4bn weapons sale to Taiwan

The US has defended a proposed weapons sale to Taiwan following a furious response from China.

The US State Department said on Saturday that the sale contributed to "security and stability" between Taiwan and China, Reuters reported.

Beijing announced a series of moves against the US in retaliation for the proposed $6.4bn (£4bn) sale.

Ties between the two countries are already strained by rows over trade and internet censorship.

"Such sales contribute to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait," said US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler, quoted by Reuters.

The US is the leading arms supplier to Taiwan and has a treaty obligation to provide it with defensive arms.

'Severe harm'

Beijing said it would suspend military exchanges with the US, review co-operation on major issues and impose sanctions on companies selling arms.

However, the US - like the EU - has banned its companies selling arms to China since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, so it was not clear what effect Chinese sanctions would have.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the measures reflected the "severe harm" posed by the deal.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the arms deal would have "repercussions that neither side wishes to see".

Difficult ties

Taiwan and China have been ruled by separate governments since the end of a civil war in 1949.

Beijing has hundreds of missiles pointed at the island and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control if Taiwan moved towards formal independence.

Defence ties between Washington and Beijing have been on ice for several years because of differences over Taiwan, though the two countries' leaders pledged to improve them in 2009.

Taiwan, meanwhile, welcomed the US move.

"It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China," the Central News Agency quoted President Ma Ying-jeou as saying.

The Pentagon earlier notified the US Congress of the proposed arms sale, which forms part of a package first pledged by the Bush administration.

Friday's notification to Congress by the Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) was required by law. It does not mean the sale has been concluded.

US lawmakers have 30 days to comment on the proposed sale, Associated Press reported. If there are no objections, it would proceed.

The arms package includes 114 Patriot missiles, 60 Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, the agency said in a statement.

It does not include F-16 fighter jets, which Taiwan's military has been seeking.

Last week US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton angered Beijing with a call to China to investigate cyber attacks on search giant Google, after the company said email accounts of human rights activists had been hacked.

Afghan interpreter shoots dead two US soldiers

Two US soldiers who died in eastern Afghanistan on Friday were shot dead by an Afghan interpreter, it has emerged.

A Nato official said the translator gunned down the US soldiers before other soldiers shot him dead at an outpost in Wardak province.

A US military official told Reuters news agency the attacker seemed to be a "disgruntled employee", not a militant.

Also in Wardak province, four Afghan soldiers died in an apparently bungled coalition air strike.

Afghanistan's defence ministry demanded punishment for those behind the air strike; Nato said the deaths were "regrettable" and announced an investigation.

The shootings involving the translator and the air strike were not thought to be related.

An Afghan provincial official told Reuters the interpreter had argued with the soldiers over pay and treatment, before opening fire.

S African minister's wife Sheryl Cwele on drug charges

The wife of South Africa's intelligence minister has been arrested on drug-dealing charges.

Sheryl Cwele, the 50-year-old wife of Siyabonga Cwele, appeared in court charged with conspiring to bring cocaine into the country.

Mrs Cwele was charged with procuring a woman to collect drugs in Turkey and of getting another woman to smuggle cocaine from Brazil.

She remains in custody until her bail application is heard in a week.

Mrs Cwele is facing the charges with Frank Nabolis, a Nigerian national arrested in South Africa in December.

She told local media she was innocent.

Husband unaware

Sheryl Cwele's arrest followed that of Tessa Beetge, a South African woman arrested in Brazil in 2008 9.2kg (22lb) of cocaine inside her luggage.

Beetge was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Newspaper reports linked Mrs Cwele to Beetge, before she took leave in December from her job as director for health and community services at the Hibiscus Coast Municipality.

She returned to work on Thursday, and was arrested at her office on Friday before appearing at Pietermaritzburg High Court.

The National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa said Mrs Cwele faced one count of dealing in dangerous dependency-producing drugs and two counts of incitement to dealing in dangerous dependency-producing drugs, dating back to May and June 2008.

Her husband told a local newspaper he had no knowledge of his wife's alleged drug dealings.

Russia unveils its first stealth fighter jet

Russia has unveiled its new stealth fighter jet, meant to boost the country's ageing arsenal of weaponry and be a rival to the US F-22 Raptor.

The Sukhoi T-50, also called the PAK FA, made its maiden flight in Russia's far east. Test pilot Sergei Bogdan said it was "easy and comfortable to pilot".

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said much work needed to be done before mass production began in 2015.

Stealth technology is meant to nearly eliminate a plane's radar signature.

The plane is being developed by the Sukhoi company at its Komsomolsk-on-Amur production plant.

The new jet has been developed in partnership with India. It is seen as a significant milestone in Russia's efforts to modernise its Soviet-era military hardware.

Sukhoi's director Mikhail Pogosyan said he was convinced that the project would "excel its Western rivals in cost-effectiveness and will not only allow strengthening of the defence power of the Russian and Indian air forces, but also gain a significant share of the world market".

The company says the jet's stealth features considerably enhance its combat effectiveness in all weathers.

Its features include: all-weather capability, ability to use a take-off strip of just 300-400 metres, capacity for sustained supersonic flight including repeated in-flight refuelling, advanced avionics, simultaneous attacks on air and ground targets.

But analysts have denied the jet is a leap forward.

"It's just a prototype lacking new engines and a new radar," military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer told the Associated Press news agency.

Originally scheduled for 2007, the T-50's maiden flight was repeatedly postponed because of technical problems.

Observers of Russia's recent military modernisation drive say it has been plagued by delays and quality problems.

US pressed to move 9/11 trial from New York

The US administration is considering moving the trial of the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks out of New York City, officials have said.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is due to be tried with four other suspects. On Thursday Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he had asked the attorney general not to hold the trial in Manhattan, near the site of the attacks. The mayor had strongly backed the trial but changed his mind this week citing cost and disruption. Several other senior politicians including Governor David Paterson and both state senators have expressed opposition to or doubts about the proposal.

The suspects are currently being held in Guantanamo Bay, but will be moved as part of President Barack Obama's efforts to close the prison. Some relatives of 9/11 victims say they oppose a federal court trial, and many Republicans in Congress favour military tribunals over civilian trials. New York Congressman Peter King has introduced a bill to block Justice Department financing for federal court trials of Guantanamo detainees. However, White House officials say Mr Obama remains committed to the civilian option.

'Too disruptive'

Last month officials said the trial would be held at a federal court in lower Manhattan, after announcing the move in November. Mr Bloomberg initially said it would be fitting that the suspects should face trial near the site of the World Trade Center. But on Thursday he called Attorney General Eric Holder to ask for the trial to be moved. Several lawmakers from around the country have made similar requests. "There are places that would be less expensive for the taxpayers and less disruptive for New York City," he told journalists. "For example, military bases away from central cities where it is easier to provide security at much less cost." However, Mr Bloomberg said that if necessary "we will do what we're supposed to do".

'Number three'

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been described by US investigators as "one of history's most infamous terrorists". They say he has admitted being responsible "from A to Z" for the 9/11 attacks. Believed to be the number three al-Qaeda leader, he was captured in Pakistan in March 2003. He told a pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo in December 2008 that he wanted to plead guilty to all charges against him. But intelligence memos released last year revealed he had been subjected to harsh interrogation techniques including water-boarding on multiple occasions since his capture - potentially rendering some evidence inadmissible. The other four men - the two Yemenis, a Saudi and a Pakistani-born Kuwaiti who have shared hearings with Mr Mohammed at Guantanamo Bay - are also accused of helping plan and finance the attacks.

Burma jails journalist Ngwe Soe Lin for 13 years

A military court in Burma has sentenced a journalist to 13 years in prison for working illegally for foreign media organisations, his lawyer has said.

Ngwe Soe Lin, who reported for the Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma, was convicted of violating immigration laws and the Electronics Act.

His lawyer, Aung Thein, said there was no proof he had broken any law and would appeal against the conviction.

Most foreign journalists are banned in Burma and the state censors all media.

Ngwe Soe Lin was arrested as he left an internet cafe in the Rangoon area of Kyaukmyaung in June 2009. After being interrogated for two months, he was sent to the city's notorious Insein prison, where his sentence was handed down on Wednesday.

According to the Burma Media Association, which is based in neighbouring Thailand, 14 reporters were arrested in Burma in 2009.

Correspondents say the detentions were part of a continued crackdown by the military authorities on those involved in the mass anti-government protests in September 2007.

In December, freelance journalist Hla Hla Win was jailed for 20 years on similar charges to Ngwe Soe Lin after a military court found she had provided video for the Democratic Voice of Burma.

Dubai to execute boatman for child mosque murder

A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a four-year-old boy in Dubai.

The man, identified only as a fishing boat captain named as RR, was found guilty of raping and murdering Moosa Mukhtiar Ahmed last year.

He was convicted of killing the boy, originally from Pakistan, in a mosque toilet during the festival of Eid-al Adha in November.

The man is expected to appeal against the sentence in the next few days.

In Dubai death sentences are carried out by firing squad.

The court ruled the man must serve six months in prison for consuming alcohol before he is executed, reported The National, a newspaper in the United Arab Emirates.

"The killer showed no mercy to the child and so the court will show him no mercy," the newspaper reported Judge Fahmy Mounir Fahmy as saying.

Sri Lanka police 'raid Fonseka campaign HQ'

The Colombo campaign office of defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka has been raided by 40 policemen, his supporters say.

The say that Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel arrested 13 people in the raid. The government has given almost no information on the operation, which saw a street in Colombo cordoned off. The military excluded all journalists from the leafy street where the general's campaign office is situated. Gen Fonseka has refused to accept his defeat in the elections. He argues that his supporters were intimidated and the result was fixed.

'Coup plan'

Correspondent in Colombo says that dozens of security forces were seen arriving in the street where Gen Fonseka ran his office from his home. "They want to take all [my] people into custody and take them to the police station, saying that we had been planning a coup from that office," Gen Fonseka told the BBC Tamil service. "All nonsense. Right now they are packing up all our computers, all our equipment, and they are trying to take all the staff to police station." On Thursday the general said that he wanted to leave the country because of death threats. As votes were being counted on Wednesday, troops surrounded him inside the hotel, where his campaign was based, on suspicion he was plotting a coup.

'Falsified'

Opposition lawyer Shiral Lakthilaka said that dozens of CID officers escorted by commandos arrested 13 men who had been involved in the general's election campaign, all of them retired soldiers or officers.

He said they were now being held incommunicado even though police found none of the weapons or explosives that they said they were looking for. No senior police officials were able to provide information, one said he knew nothing, others were unavailable by telephone. A defence official would only say an investigation was going on.

The government had earlier accused the general of planning to assassinate his victorious rival, President Mahinda Rajapaksa. On Thursday Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the brother of President Rajapaksa, said the government was considering taking action against Gen Fonseka. He denied that the opposition leader was being investigated because of his decision to stand in the acrimoniously fought elections.

Mr Rajapaksa said Gen Fonseka had wrongly accused him of ordering the killings of three senior Tamil Tiger rebels as they had tried to surrender in the final stages of the conflict last May. President Rajapaksa won six million votes compared with the four million cast for Gen Fonseka in the vote held earlier this week. The independent Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said there were reports of irregularities but no evidence to suggest large-scale fraud.

Japan deflation hits a record pace to threaten recovery

Japanese consumer prices fell at a record pace in December, according to the latest official figures.

Prices fell by 1.2% in the month, the biggest drop since the current consumer price index began in 1970. Japan's finance minister has urged the Bank of Japan to move in step with the government to fight the problem of deflation. But the governor of the Bank of Japan, Masaaki Shirakawa, said his current strategy was appropriate for now. mThe price falls are measured by the so-called "core-core" consumer price index, which strips out the effect of volatile food and energy costs. Separately, data showed that the unemployment rate in Japan fell from 5.2% to 5.1%.

Debt concerns

Japan's Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama , also called for co-operation from the central bank. He told parliament that the government will work with it to overcome falls in prices. "I expect the BOJ to support the economy by guiding monetary policy appropriately and flexibly, while keeping close contact with the government, in a way that is consistent with government efforts," he said.

Japan's national debt is now about twice as big as the country's annual overall economic output, according to the IMF, and the credit ratings agency Standard and Poor's this week warned that it may cut the country's rating. Deflation encourages people to hang on to their money because it will grow in value, rather than be eroded by inflation. It also makes sense for people to delay buying goods because they expect future falls in prices. These factors depress demand. Cutting interest rates is a standard way of getting people to spend more, but the Bank of Japan has held rates at almost rock bottom for years and has little room for manoeuvre.

Tony Blair defends UK involvement in Iraq war

Tony Blair struck a defiant note in a six hour grilling by the Iraq inquiry insisting it was right to remove Saddam Hussein and said he would do it again.

He rejected claims he manipulated intelligence to justify the invasion.And he denied making a "covert" deal with George Bush to invade Iraq in April 2002 a year before the war began. The former prime minister said he had been open about what had been discussed the US president's ranch - which was that Saddam needed to be "dealt with". "This isn't about a lie or a conspiracy or a deceit or a deception," he told the panel. "It's a decision. And the decision I had to take was, given Saddam's history, given his use of chemical weapons, given the over one million people whose deaths he had caused, given 10 years of breaking UN resolutions, could we take the risk of this man reconstituting his weapons programmes or is that a risk that it would be irresponsible to take?" Sometimes it is important not to ask the "March 2003 question" but the "2010 question", said Mr Blair, arguing that if Saddam had been left in power the UK and its allies would have "lost our nerve" to act.

He said that if Saddam had not been removed "today we would have a situation where Iraq was competing with Iran" both in terms of nuclear capability and "in respect of support of terrorist groups". "The decision I took - and frankly would take again - was if there was any possibility that he could develop weapons of mass destruction we should stop him." Quoting frequently from his own speeches and statements, Mr Blair faced a sometimes tense session, with family members of service personnel killed in Iraq sat behind him in the public gallery reacting with dismay to some of his answers. Earlier witnesses to the inquiry have suggested he told Mr Bush at their April 2002 meeting at the ranch in Crawford, Texas, that the UK would join the Americans in a war with Iraq. But Mr Blair said: "What I was saying - I was not saying this privately incidentally, I was saying it in public - was 'we are going to be with you in confronting and dealing with this threat'.

"The one thing I was not doing was dissembling in that position. How we proceed in this is a matter that was open. The position was not a covert position, it was an open position." Pressed on what he thought Mr Bush took from the meeting, he went further, saying: "I think what he took from that was exactly what he should have taken, which was if it came to military action because there was no way of dealing with this diplomatically, we would be with him." But he also confirmed that a year later, on the eve of war, the Americans had offered Britain a "way out" of military action, which he had turned down.

Goldsmith decision

"I think President Bush at one point said, before the [Commons] debate, 'Look if it's too difficult for Britain, we understand'. "I took the view very strongly then - and do now - that it was right for us to be with America, since we believed in this too." On the issue of whether or not military action would be legal, Mr Blair said Mr Bush decided the UN Security Council's support "wasn't necessary". He said it was "correct" to say that he shared that view, although it would have been "preferable politically". But he told the inquiry he would not have backed military action if Attorney General Lord Goldsmith had said it "could not be justified legally". Asked why Lord Goldsmith, after initially saying he thought it would be illegal, in line with all government lawyers at the time, made a statement saying it would be legal a week before the invasion began, Mr Blair said the attorney general "had to come to a conclusion".

He said he had not had any discussions with Lord Goldsmith in the week before he gave his statement but he believed the attorney general had come to his view because weapons inspectors had "indicated that Saddam Hussein had not taken a final opportunity to comply" with UN demands. Mr Blair was also quizzed about the controversial claim in a September 2002 dossier that Iraq could deploy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) at 45 minutes notice. Mr Blair said it "assumed a vastly greater significance" afterwards than it did at the time. He said it "would have been better if (newspaper) headlines about the '45-minute claim' had been corrected" in light of the significance it later took on.

'Beyond doubt'

Looking back, he would have made it clearer the claim referred to battlefield munitions, not missiles, and would have preferred to publish the intelligence assessments by themselves as they were "absolutely strong enough". But Mr Blair insisted that, on the basis of the intelligence available at the time, he stood by his claim at the time that it was "beyond doubt" Iraq was continuing to develop its weapons capability.

However he acknowledged "things obviously look quite different" now given the failure to discover any weapons after the invasion. Even up to the last minute Mr Blair said he was "desperately" trying to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis but France and Russia "changed their position" and were not going to allow a second UN resolution. Saddam Hussein had "no intention" of allowing his scientists to co-operate with UN weapons inspectors, he said, with the regime concealing key material.

Giving the inspectors more time would have made little difference, he added. He also said Iraq had the "intent" and technical knowhow to rebuild its weapons programme and would have done so if the international community had not acted. Mr Blair also denied he would have supported the invasion of Iraq even if he had thought Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction, as he appeared to suggest last year in a BBC interview with Fern Brittan. What he had been trying to say, he explained to the inquiry, was that "you would not describe the nature of the threat in the same way if you knew then what you knew now, that the intelligence on WMD had been shown to be wrong". He said his position had not changed, despite what reports of the interview had suggested.

Mr Blair was at pains to point out that he believed weapons of mass destruction and regime change could not be treated as separate issues but were "conjoined". He said "brutal and oppressive" regimes with WMD were a "bigger threat" than a benign states with WMD. He also stressed the British and American attitude towards the threat posed by Saddam Hussein "changed dramatically" after the terror attacks on 11 September 2001, saying: "I never regarded 11 September as an attack on America, I regarded it as an attack on us." Inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot began the six hour question session by stressing that Mr Blair was not "on trial" but said he could be recalled to give further evidence if necessary.

Afghanistan: Security transition 'by end of 2010'

Afghan forces could take control of security in some provinces by the end of 2010, delegates at a key summit about the country have said.

A statement at the end of the one-day meeting in London said the process could be complete within five years. UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said 2010 was a decisive year as a new government was in place and there was a "refreshed counter-insurgency" plan. World leaders pledged $140m (£87m) to win over low-level Taliban fighters. Meanwhile, UN sources have told news agencies that the UN representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, secretly met Taliban members this month. They said meeting was held on 8 January in Dubai at the militants' request. Mr Eide denied that the meeting took place on 8 January but refused to comment on any other dates.

'Mutual responsibility'

Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently announced plans to encourage Taliban members to renounce violence and join in peace talks. "We must reach out to all of our countrymen, especially our disenchanted brothers, who are not part of al-Qaeda, or other terrorist networks, who accept the Afghan constitution," he told delegates.

Mr Miliband, restating Britain's support of the plan, said the summit participants were also behind it. "Today alone there have been over $140m worth of commitments for the first year of the national reintegration programme and we are committed to seeing that through." Mr Miliband said: "The aim of the conference was to align the military and civilian resources of every coalition partner behind a clear political strategy, to help President Karzai and his government deliver the ambitious agenda that he set out in his inaugural speech last November.

"The themes of mutual responsibility - Afghan and international - and of unity behind a clear plan came through very strongly indeed." The final communique from the summit in London said it welcomed Afghanistan's goal of taking charge of the "majority of operations in the insecure areas of Afghanistan within three years and taking responsibility for physical security within five years". It said the international community would continue to improve the capabilities of the Afghan security forces, boosting the army to 171,600 and the police to 134,000 personnel by October 2011. The summit said the Afghan government had acknowledged that it had to tackle corruption.

'No exit strategy'

The High Office of Oversight would investigate and sanction corrupt officials, and once conditions for aid delivery were met, the proportion of aid channelled through the government would rise to 50%, Mr Miliband said. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said reforms planned by President Karzai, such as tackling corruption and effectively managing aid, were important and the US would be watching them carefully. The security transition from international forces to Afghan forces would also enable the US to start withdrawing its troops from the country in mid-2011. But Mrs Clinton said: "This is not an exit strategy. It is about assisting and partnering with the Afghans."

The summit said the Afghan government had made progress on economic development, and it hoped it would continue to boost agriculture, human resources and infrastructure. Correspondent said the theme of the conference was unity and coherence, but also an acknowledgement that there was no military solution to Afghanistan's problems.

MMR scare doctor 'acted unethically', panel finds

The doctor who first suggested a link between MMR vaccinations and autism acted unethically, the official medical regulator has found.

Dr Andrew Wakefield's 1998 Lancet study caused vaccination rates to plummet, resulting in a rise in measles - but the findings were later discredited.

The General Medical Council ruled he had acted "dishonestly and irresponsibly" in doing his research.

Afterwards, Dr Wakefield said the claims were "unfounded and unjust".

The GMC case did not investigate whether Dr Wakefield's findings were right or wrong, instead it was focused on the methods of research.

During the two-and-a-half years of hearings - one of the longest in the regulator's history - he was accused of a series of charges.

'Invasive tests'

It was alleged he carried out invasive tests on children which were against their best clinical interests and paid children £5 for blood samples at his son's birthday party.

The panel looking into the allegations said the case was proven on both counts.

In regards to the blood tests it ruled he had acted with "callous disregard for the pain they might suffer".

After the hearing Dr Wakefield said: "I am extremely disappointed by the outcome.

"The allegations against me and my colleagues are unfounded and unjust."

The GMC now has to consider whether Dr Wakefield's behaviour amounts to serious professional misconduct and then if any sanctions should be imposed, such as striking him off the medical register.

However, that ruling is not expected for some months.

Iran 'executes two over post-election unrest'

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.

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 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.

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.

Obama in Florida to test State of the Union opinion Obama in Florida to test State of the Union opinion

US President Barack Obama is to travel to Florida for a "town hall" meeting that will be the first test of opinion since his State of the Union address.

Mr Obama made job creation the main focus of Wednesday's speech, and will announce $8bn (£5bn) for a national high-speed rail system while in Tampa.

He also said Americans were "hurting" and admitted he had not yet delivered on his election pledge of change.

But Mr Obama defended his healthcare reform efforts and bailout of banks.

Giving the Republican response, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell said Democratic policies were resulting in unsustainable levels of debt.

Creating jobs

On Thursday, the day after his first State of the Union address, Mr Obama will fly with Vice-President Joe Biden to Tampa where they will tour MacDill Air Force Base, which has been used for aid flights to Haiti.

After that the two men will attend a town hall-style meeting at the University of Tampa, where they are expected to be questioned about the economy.

Mr Obama will also use the meeting to announce the $8bn in grants for nationwide high-speed rail projects, which the White House says will create or save thousands of jobs in engineering, manufacturing, planning and maintenance.

Except for the line between Boston and Washington, there are no high-speed rail routes in the US. Thirteen rail corridors in 31 states are to receive funds, but only California's plans call for trains with maximum speeds exceeding 200mph (322km/h).

Congress set aside funding for the rail projects, which Mr Obama said in April would "change the way we travel in America", as part of the $787bn economic stimulus package approved in 2009.

In the State of the Union speech Mr Obama called for new spending and tax cuts that he said would build on the stimulus package and easily push the cost of all stimulus measures since he took office to over $1 trillion.

Mr Obama said he had taken office a year ago "amid two wars, an economy rocked by severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt".

"The devastation remains," he added. "One in 10 Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined. Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard. For those who had already known poverty, life has become that much harder."

The president said creating jobs had to be his administration's "number one focus in 2010" and said he wanted Congress to pass a jobs bill "without delay".

Mr Obama also defended the controversial series of bank bailouts, saying that although it was "about as popular as root canal... unemployment might be double what it is today" if the government had allowed the meltdown of the financial system.

But he said the budget deficit had to be tackled, and proposed a three-year freeze on spending on part of the domestic budget, excluding Medicare and social security, which would contribute towards $20bn in savings.

"Let's invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt."

Republicans said they welcomed the proposed freeze on domestic spending, but warned against the expansion of government.

"The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role of government at every level," said Gov McDonnell.

Correspondent in Washington, says it was a sober speech for serious times, primarily devoted to domestic issues.

He says the president talked optimistically about the capacity of the American people to endure hardships, and come through stronger, but at times he also sounded defensive, saying he never suggested he could bring the change he promised all by himself.

Mr Obama's address follows the Democratic Party's loss of a key Senate seat in Massachusetts last week. The result has deprived them of their filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the Senate and means the Republicans can effectively block Democratic legislation.