US President Barack Obama is proposing to pay for his $447bn (£282bn) jobs plan with taxes on the wealthy. Republicans objected to the proposal, saying the president wanted to bill “job creators”. Read More
Jobs Act: Obama plan eyes taxes on rich
Irene floods in North Carolina and New York ‘disaster’
Irene floods in North Carolina and New York 'disaster'
US President Barack Obama has declared a “major disaster” in North Carolina and New York state, as cresting rivers and floodwaters threaten communities in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. Read More
Kim Jong-il in talks with Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev
The BBC's Leonid Ragozin says the visit to Russia is very rare
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il has held rare talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and economic co-operation. Mr Kim said his country was ready to discuss ending nuclear tests if six-party talks on denuclearisation resumed, Russian media reported. Read More
Virtual touch helps keyhole surgeons to ‘feel’ tumours
Users manipulate tissues using haptic feedback
Tactile feedback technology could give keyhole surgeons a virtual sense of “feeling” tumours while operating. A Leeds University study has combined computer virtualisation with a device that simulates pressure on a surgeon’s hand when touching human tissue remotely. Read More
‘Cot death risk’ to small babies
Babies should be placed with their feet to the foot of the cot
Parents of underweight babies must be given more information on reducing the risk of cot death, says a charity. According to latest research, babies born weighing less than 2.5kg (5.5lb) are five times more likely to suffer cot death than those of normal weight. Read More
European and US shares rise in volatile trading
European and US shares rise in volatile trading
Shares have risen on both sides of the Atlantic in a day of volatile trading on the stock markets. Despite continuing concerns about weak economic growth and high levels of national debt in both the US and eurozone, the UK’s FTSE 100 index ended up 1.9%, while France’s Cac added 1.6%. Read More
A-level results 2011: Teenagers face moment of truth
The waiting is over for A-level candidates
Hundreds of thousands of teenagers are finding out whether they have made the grade in their A-levels, amid record pressure on university places. Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receive their results later ahead of the last academic year before tuition fees rise in England. Read More
BART mobile shutdown provokes Anonymous hackers
Anonymous defaced the myBART.org website before publishing thousands of personal details. The site has since been taken offline
Hackers have targeted the website of a San Francisco transport company that turned off mobile masts to prevent protests outside its stations. Public anger towards the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) had been fermenting since July when transit police shot dead a man who was carrying a knife. Read More
F1 team grants teenager hand wish
Matthew James explains how the new bionic hand works
A Formula One fan has had his wish of a new bionic hand fulfilled after a plucky letter to boss of the Mercedes GP Petronas team, Ross Brawn. Matthew James, a 14-year-old from Wokingham in Berkshire, was born without a left hand. Read More
Shell says North Sea oil spill is under control
A plane has been monitoring the water's surface around the platform
Oil giant Shell says a leak in a North Sea pipeline is under control. A leak in a flow line leading to the Gannet Alpha oil platform, 180 km (113 miles) east of Aberdeen, was found on Wednesday. Read More