Biodun@bbcnews.com

Friday, 24 December 2010

FEATURED STORIES from UPI--presented by Biodun Iginla, BBC News
Topic: upi, bbc news, iginla


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Special Reports

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South Sudan vote looks OK, U.N. says

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A top U.N. official said observations on the ground led him to believe a credible referendum for self-determination for South Sudan can take place in January. [ FULL STORY ]

Mixed U.N. report on Afghanistan

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Insurgents in Afghanistan are preparing "spectacular attacks" to erase perceptions that things are improving, a top U.N. official told the Security Council. [ FULL STORY]

Europe bracing for Ivorian crisis

BRUSSELS, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Contingency plans are needed to respond to the humanitarian crisis potentially unfolding in the Ivory Coast, the European Union said. [ FULL STORY ]

Tymoshenko complains of repression in Kiev

KIEV, Ukraine, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko said authorities are restricting the number of times she can speak in public following fraud charges. [ FULL STORY ]

Criminalize disappearances, aid groups say

GENEVA, Switzerland, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Parties to a convention on forced disappearances must put it into practice by making disappearance a criminal offense, the ICRC said from Geneva. [ FULL STORY]

Energy Resources

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Irrigation pump helps rural Indian farmers

NEW DELHI, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- For rural farmers in India, an irrigation pump means no longer having to depend on unreliable monsoon showers to sustain livelihoods. [ FULL STORY ]

Europe adjusting to cold snap

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The Scottish government announced it was easing restrictions on the number of hours fuel suppliers can drive in order to cope with severe winter conditions. [ FULL STORY ]

End of subsidies working for Iran?

TEHRAN, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Iran could cut energy demand and bring in more revenue by the elimination of subsidies on oil and gas, a financial report states. [ FULL STORY ]

U.S. to fund fuel cell research

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Funding for fuel cell research in the United States will help the country stay ahead of the curve in greening up its economy, the Department of Energy said. [ FULL STORY ]

Europe searching for right biofuel balance

BRUSSELS, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Europe needs to make sure the increased use of biofuels doesn't have indirect impacts on the regional environment, a climate commissioner said. [ FULL STORY ]

Special Reports

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In Iraq, Iran's Special Groups to flourish

BAGHDAD, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Iran's "Special Groups," Tehran's paramilitary proxies in Iraq, are likely to flourish under the new Shiite-dominated coalition government being formed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iran's choice to rule in Baghdad. [ FULL STORY ]

U.S. and EU condemn Minsk for violence

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Political violence in Belarus is an "unfortunate step backwards" in democratic development, the United States and European Union said in a joint statement. [ FULL STORY]

Mixed U.N. report on Afghanistan

Kenya backs away from ICC

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Kenyan lawmakers passed a measure on to the government to leave the International Criminal Court for what they said were issues related to sovereignty. [ FULL STORY]

Pakistan aiding Iran with Jundallah

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Tehran handed over a list of terrorist suspects to Pakistan authorities as part of an intelligence-sharing effort, sources from Islamabad said. [ FULL STORY ]

Posted by biginla at 10:09 PM GMT

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Wednesday, 22 December 2010

FEATURED STORIES at UPI--presented by the BBC's Biodun Iginla
Topic: upi, bbc news, iginla


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Top News

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Man resembling killer fears for his life

KENSINGTON, Pa., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Philadelphia police say a man who resembles a sketch of the so-called Kensington Strangler was unjustly targeted in fliers, text messages and Facebook. [ FULL STORY ]

Halliburton settles Nigeria bribery case

HOUSTON, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Halliburton will pay Nigeria $35 million to settle a bribery case that led to charges against Richard Cheney and others, the company said. [ FULL STORY ]

Nuclear arms treaty set for Senate passage

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- An arms control treaty trimming U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals was poised Wednesday for U.S. Senate ratification, with 11 Republicans breaking party ranks. [ FULL STORY ]

Entertainment News

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HBO to air 'Pee-wee Herman Show'

NEW YORK, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- HBO is taping a performance of "The Pee-wee Herman Show" on Broadway with plans to air it next year, The Wrap reported. [ FULL STORY ]

People in the news

The latest news on today's hottest celebrities ... [ FULL STORY ]

Budig wins 'Skating with the Stars'

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Soap-opera star Rebecca Budig and her professional skating partner Fred Palascak won the U.S. competition series "Skating with the Stars" Tuesday night. [ FULL STORY ]

Odd News

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Watercooler Stories

Police arrest 'unruly' female Santas … Bar faces penalties after profane song … Appeals court: 'Fore' not required by law … Letter contains $45 for stolen hammer … Watercooler stories from UPI. [ FULL STORY ]

Your Daily Horoscope

UPI horoscopes for Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. [ FULL STORY ]

Jockstrip: The world as we know it.

Cookie swap spans four decades … Celeb signature tattoo duo end friendship … Robber identified by dropped phone … Facebook fight leads to police chase … The world as we know it from UPI. [ FULL STORY ]

Science News

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Germany's RWE drawn to Italy's wind regime

ESSEN, Germany, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- The wind regime in Italy provides an attractive environment to expand the onshore wind energy sector, Germany energy company RWE said. [ FULL STORY ]

Astana eyes gas pipeline

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Kazakhstan could start work on an extension to a natural gas pipeline to China as early as February, a project manager announced. [ FULL STORY ]

Halliburton settles with Nigeria

HOUSTON, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Halliburton said it would pay more than $32 million to settle bribery charges in Nigeria against former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and other executives. [ FULL STORY ]

Business News

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ViaSat gets Blue Force tracker contract

CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- ViaSat of California will continue improving the U.S. military's Blue Force tracking system under $13.8 million in follow-on delivery orders. [ FULL STORY ]

Eurofighter delivers 250th Typhoon

HALLBERGMOOS, Germany, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Eurofighter is celebrating the 250th delivery a Typhoon jet fighter -- and the 50th this year -- since 2003. [ FULL STORY ]

ManTech receives intel support task order

FAIRFAX, Va., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Drug Intelligence Center is to receive software and system support from ManTech under a $32 million task order. [FULL STORY ]

Health News

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Some hard to teach because of genetics

DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Some students are hard to teach for genetic reasons, U.S. and British researchers say. [ FULL STORY ]

Nine out of 10 Swedes say they're happy

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Nine out of 10 people in Sweden say they are both content and happy, with good health the most important factor for personal well being, researchers say. [ FULL STORY ]

SIDS highest on New Year's Day

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Sudden infant death syndrome may be linked to alcohol consumption in parents, U.S. researchers suggest. [ FULL STORY ]

Sports News

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College football bowl schedule

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Schedule and results for college football bowls for 2010-11: [ FULL STORY ]

NBA: New Jersey 101, Memphis 94

MEMPHIS, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Brook Lopez netted 26 points for New Jersey Tuesday and the Nets ended a 10-game road losing streak with a 101-94 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. [ FULL STORY ]

COL BKB: San Diego St. 62, S. Francisco 56

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points Tuesday and No. 7 San Diego State remained undefeated with a 62-56 decision over San Francisco. [ FULL STORY ]

Posted by biginla at 4:30 PM GMT

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Friday, 17 December 2010

FEATURED STORIES by Biodun Iginla of the BBC
Topic: upi, bbc news, iginla


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Outside View

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Outside View: Before Obama, conservatives targeted Reagan

STANLEY A. WEISS || UPI Outside View Commentator
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- As U.S. President Barack Obama battles Senate Republicans over ratification of the new U.S.-Russia START treaty, it's worth remembering that the phrase at the heart of this treaty -- "arms reduction" -- was born 23 years ago this week, in a high-profile summit between the United States and the Soviet Union in Washington. [ FULL STORY ]

Outside View: www.worldwar5.0

HARLAN ULLMAN || UPI Outside View Commentator
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Karl Marx proclaimed that a "specter was haunting Europe." But it took decades before the specter of socialism became a reality in the formation of the Soviet Union. Today, a "cyberspecter" haunts us. We better be alert to it because we don't have decades to wait. [ FULL STORY ]

Special Reports

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What are Hezbollah's post-STL plans?

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Hezbollah may try to assert its claims to power if it runs into political trouble in the aftermath of an assassination probe, a Lebanese lawmaker said. [ FULL STORY ]

Appeal sought in Kyrgyz verdict

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The nephew of the deposed president of Kyrgyzstan wants his sentence reduced for crimes committed during ethnic violence in the country's south, a court said. [ FULL STORY ]

Egypt's opposition targets new Parliament

CAIRO, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Members of the Egyptian opposition want to form a parallel government to rival the Parliament controlled by the ruling elite, a leader said. [ FULL STORY ]

Argentina beefs up internal security, names new ministry

BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Argentina toughened its stance on rioting slum dwellers by appointing a minister to the newly formed ministry for internal security but postponed further action on promised poverty reduction programs. [ FULL STORY ]

London missed signs of Iran's revolution

LONDON, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- A diplomatic report released by the British government suggests London missed developments that led to the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, an official said. [ FULL STORY ]

Energy Resources

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Chevron plans big upgrade for Caspian oil

SAN RAMON, Calif., Dec. 15 (UPI) -- A planned $5.4 billion expansion of an oil pipeline in the Caspian region will help expand deliveries of crude from Kazakhstan and Russia, Chevron announced. [ FULL STORY ]

Bulgaria drafts green energy measure

SOFIA, Bulgaria, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Bulgaria aims to use renewable energy to meet at least 10 percent of its energy resources for transportation by 2020, the government said. [ FULL STORY ]

Nord Stream on schedule for 2011

ZUG, Switzerland, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Everything is going as planned for the construction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea, the project consortium said Thursday. [ FULL STORY ]

Europe needs more gas, company says

STAVANGER, Norway, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Europe can meet many of its ambitious climate goals in a cost-effective way by incorporating more natural gas into the energy sector, an energy company said. [ FULL STORY ]

BP delays Libyan deep-water drilling

TRIPOLI, Libya, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Libya's hopes of new oil strikes in the Gulf of Sidra have been set back by BP's postponement of launching a $1 billion deep-water exploration program as the company grapples with the aftermath of the huge Gulf of Mexico oil spill. [ FULL STORY ]

Special Reports

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Indonesia holds cleric on terrorism charge

JAKARTA, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir could face a death sentence after Indonesian police formally charged him with inciting terrorism. [ FULL STORY ]

Don't prosecute Assange, HRW says

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Prosecuting the founder of WikiLeaks would set a dangerous standard for freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Washington. [ FULL STORY ]

Appeal sought in Kyrgyz verdict

Egypt's opposition targets new Parliament

CAIRO, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Members of the Egyptian opposition want to form a parallel government to rival the Parliament controlled by the ruling elite, a leader said. [ FULL STORY ]

Shots fired in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Shots were fired in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan as European lawmakers backed a measure calling on Laurent Gbagboto hand over power to his rival. [ FULL STORY ]

Posted by biginla at 1:21 AM GMT

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