AP – In a fresh appeal directly to the Iranian people, President Barack Obama says in an online video that the United States wants more educational and cultural exchanges for their students and better access to the Internet to give them a more hopeful future.
AP – Pope Benedict XVI has rebuked Irish bishops for “grave errors of judgement” in handling clerical sex abuse and ordered a Vatican investigation into the Irish church to wipe out the scourge.
AP – President Barack Obama said Saturday that Congress needs to enact comprehensive financial reforms to protect consumers, keep banks strong and ensure the U.S. economy doesn’t sink into another Great Depression.
Pope Benedict XVI has apologised to victims of child sex abuse by Catholic priests in Ireland.
In a pastoral letter to Irish Catholics, he acknowledged the sense of betrayal in the Church felt by victims and their families.
The Pope said there had been "serious mistakes" among bishops in responding to allegations of paedophilia.
The pastoral letter is the first public statement by the Vatican on the sexual abuse of children, dating back decades.
It follows revelations of paedophilia within the Irish Catholic Church, which have rocked the institution.
Scandals involving Catholic priests have been reported in other countries, including the Pope’s native Germany.
The Pope said those guilty of abuse must "answer before God and properly constituted tribunals for the sinful and criminal actions they have committed".
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
AP – Take your pick: Duke, California, Cornell or Wisconsin?
AP – China’s capital woke up to orange-tinted skies Saturday as the strongest sandstorm so far this year hit the country’s north, delaying some flights at Beijing’s airport and prompting a dust warning for Seoul.
AP – Tens of thousands of protesters riding motorcycles and crammed into trucks and cars rolled through the streets of the Thai capital Saturday in a giant caravan to rally residents to their “class war” against the government.
The former Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has died in Kathmandu, his aides and state TV say.
Mr Koirala served four terms as prime minister with the Nepali Congress Party and led protests that brought down King Gyanendra’s authoritarian rule.
Thousands of supporters had gathered outside his daughter’s house where he was taken after being in hospital for several days.
Mr Koirala’s aide Bal Krishna Khad confirmed the death at the age of 86.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
AP – Thousands of protesters are rallying in several cities across Russia to protest the government’s economic policy and demand more political freedoms.
Second Test, Mirpur:England v Bangladesh
Coverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave & BBC Sport website (from 0315 GMT); live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles; also live on Sky Sports
England expect Stuart Broad to be fit for the second Test against Bangladesh, which starts in Mirpur on Saturday.
The fast bowler missed training on Thursday but recuperated sufficiently to take part in Friday’s net sessions.
"He had a little illness but we think he’ll be fine," said captain Alastair Cook. "He’s up and about now which he wasn’t yesterday (Thursday)."
Broad is likely to figure in a four-man pace attack, although Cook refused to rule out playing with two spinners.
Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn, who made his debut in the 181-run victory in Chittagong, would be most likely to make way should England opt for Kent’s James Tredwell alongside frontline spinner Graeme Swann.
"We’ll consider all the options and a second spinner is definitely one of those," said Cook.
"We’ll sit down and pick the best team to win the match. We did that in Chittagong and in hindsight we got it right.
"If we think that is the best way of going – two seamers, two spinners – then we will do that. It is very ‘un-English’, though.
"We are used to playing in English conditions where seamers do the majority of the work and you’d be very unlikely ever to go out in England with less than three seamers."
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
