17 January 2013 Last updated at 07:22 GMT
Algeria troops surround militant hostage-takers
Algerian troops have surrounded a gas facility in the east of the country where foreign workers are being held hostage by Islamist militants.
The kidnappers occupied the complex at In Amenas on Wednesday, after killing a Briton and an Algerian in an attack on a bus.
Algeria says some 20 foreign nationals are being held hostage, although the kidnappers say they have 41.
The captives include British, Japanese, US, French and Norwegian nationals.
One statement purported to be from the hostage-takers demanded an end to the French military intervention against Islamist rebels in Mali.
Inflatable dwelling for astronauts to be tested on International Space Station
Prototype habitat, which is a just a third of the weight of a traditional capsule, to be roadtested in orbit in 2015
A low-cost space dwelling that inflates like a balloon in orbit will be tested aboard the International Space Station, opening the door for future free-flying outposts and deep-space astronaut habitats for Nasa.
The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, nicknamed Beam, will be the third orbital prototype developed and flown by privately owned Bigelow Aerospace.
The Las Vegas-based company, founded in 1999 by Robert Bigelow, owner of the Budget Suites of America hotel chain, currently operates two small unmanned experimental habitats called Genesis 1, launched in 2006, and Genesis 2, which followed a year later.
Bonuses for China's house wreckers
January 17, 2013
Calum Macleod, Beijing
GOVERNMENTS the world over often hand out year-end bonuses to employees who devise efficient ways to handle problems or meet goals.
In China, at the close of last year, local governments gave employees cash awards for doing good work in demolishing family homes, flattening ancestral tombs and enforcing the nation's one-child policy.
''Land acquisition, house demolition and relocation is China's biggest tool for wealth transfer,'' Shen Xiaojie, a news website editor, wrote on Sina Weibo. ''This kind of award is like bandits dividing their spoils.''
ECONOMY
IMF approves next tranche of bailout money to Greece
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to release the next installment of bailout money to Greece. The institution deemed the debt-stricken country's reform efforts "impressive."
The IMF executive board announced its decision late on Wednesday after a long delay drawn out by Greece's political crisis that arose from the economic recession. The next tranche scheduled to be disbursed is worth 3.24 billion euros ($4.31 billion).
"The program is moving in the right direction, with strong fiscal adjustment and notable labor-cost competitiveness gains," Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in a statement.
The bailout funds come from a four-year program worth 172 billion euros approved by the IMF early last year. Under the so-called Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Greece receives more in financial assistance than what it could normally borrow from the Washington-based institution. Including the tranche approved on Wednesday, Greece has thus far received 4.86 billion euros under the plan.
Upcoming Israeli ElectionsNetanyahu Veers Right on Path to Nowhere
By Juliane von Mittelstaedt
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to explain what his country is all about, he talks about a golden signet ring displayed in a glass case in his office. The ring was discovered near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. It is believed to be 2,800 years old and to have originally belonged to a Jewish official, and it has the name "Netanyahu" inscribed on it.
"That's my family name," the 63-year-old says. His first name, he then always adds, is 1,000 years older: Benjamin, the son of Jacob.
"That's my family name," the 63-year-old says. His first name, he then always adds, is 1,000 years older: Benjamin, the son of Jacob.
French troops to enter combat in Mali within hours
French troops will be in direct combat against Islamist fighters in Mali within "hours", the country's army chief said Wednesday, as France's ground forces pushed north towards rebel-held territory in the six-day old offensive.
"The ground operation began several hours ago," Admiral Edouard Guillaud told Europe 1 radio. "In the coming hours -- though I cannot say for sure if it will be one, or 72 hours -- we will be in direct combat," he added.
A first contingent of 190 Nigerian troops was due to arrive in Bamako on Wednesday as part of a regional force of over 3,000 soldiers from Benin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Togo, to shore up the French air and ground offensive launched on January 11.
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