AMERICAS

• Book on Prophet Mohammed hits stores

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  Sherry Jones' The Jewel of Medina reached bookstores amid fears that the book about the Prophet Mohammed's child bride might lead to violence and threats. read more...

• Obama widens lead over McCain in polls

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has pulled ahead of Republican rival John McCain. read more...

• NASA spacecraft soars past Mercury

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  A US space probe successfully flew by Mercury on Monday to photograph the solar system's smallest planet, in the second of three planned passes, NASA says. read more...

• Financial recovery will take time: Bush

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  US President George W Bush has told worried Americans it will take time for the Wall Street bailout bill to take effect and for confidence to return to the markets. read more...

• Ford to let parents set speedo for teens

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  Starting next year, Ford Motor Company will allow parents to limit the speed at which their teenage children drive their car. read more...

• Bin Laden and Obama miss out in Brazil vote

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  Barack Obama, Bin Laden, Zidane and Father Christmas all failed in their bids to win local elections held in Brazil at the weekend, voting officials say. read more...

• Japanese cuisine makes NY Michelin guide

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  Japanese restaurants bubbled up through the French-dominated ranks of New York's top kitchens listed in the new 2009 Michelin guide to the city. read more...

• Facebook co-founder leaves to start firm

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  The college roommate who helped Mark Zuckerberg start Facebook is leaving the fast-growing social networking website to create a new internet technology firm. read more...

• Bus beheading suspect to stand trial

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  A man accused of beheading and cannibalising a fellow bus passenger in Canada has been declared fit to stand trial, his lawyer says. read more...

• White House rivals go nuclear as debate looms

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  John McCain and Barack Obama have begun trading attacks on each other's past ahead of this week's impending 'town hall' style debate. read more...

• Gunman kills family over financial woes

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  An unemployed California man shot and killed his wife, three children and mother-in-law before taking his own life over his family's financial difficulties. read more...

• World must act to solve crisis: Canada

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has called for a coordinated international effort to solve the current financial crisis. read more...

• Deepening finance crisis causes global market panic

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  Desperate measures by governments in Europe and North America to steady the banking system failed to stem panic selling in global markets Monday amid deepening gloom at the scope of the financial crisis. read more...

• Death row inmate's life awaits ruling

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  The US Supreme Court has not ruled on whether it will hear arguments in the case of an African-American granted an 11th hour stay of execution. read more...

• Oil recovers but stays below $US90

  Tuesday, 7th October,2008

  Oil prices remained below $US90 a barrel in Asia as deepening global financial turmoil and plunging stock markets further raised fears of slowing energy demand. read more...