President Barack Obama's chair is marked with a plaque engraved with the date of his inauguration

US Politics:

Yes we can, Obama said. But can he?

Rupert Cornwell: America gets ready for a new kind of presidency.

David Usborne: One but, no ifs: Obama blew his TV moment

A bat showing symptoms of white-nose syndrome

Bat disease threatens ecological catastrophe

Jerome Taylor: A virulent and deadly pathogen in America is exterminating a predator that is vital to farmers for controlling insect pests.

More Environment News

Pub landlord reveals his literary side

Ian Burrell: Comedian Al Murray is making a documentary about his ancestor William Makepeace Thackeray.

Cash incentives for councils that sign up for wind farms

Oliver Wright: Extra funding for those that give go-ahead to new wind farms under plans to stop local communities sabotaging renewable energy projects.

Terence Blacker: At last, the wind of change is blowing in favour of local power

Protest works. Just look at the proof

Johann Hari: Yes, you can choose to do nothing. But you will be choosing to let yourself, your family and your country be ripped off.

Lover convicted of supplying drugs that killed model

Guy Adams: Two of the people who helped supply Anna Nicole Smith with the prescription drugs which killed her were facing prison last night.

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Sir John Sawers: 'We have to deal with the world as it is'

MI6 chief admits to his 'dilemma' over torture

Kim Sengupta: Sir John Sawers describes moral dilemma over use of intelligence obtained by torture while facing threat of terrorism.

Paul Rusesabagina is in fear for his life

Hero of 'Hotel Rwanda' is declared enemy of the state

Daniel Howden: Man who saved Tutsis during the genocide says 'the government is coming after me'.

Vitaly Mutko, a member of the Fifa executive committee (ExCo), apologised for the comments made by Koloskov on Wednesday night and those earlier in the week by the general director of the Russian bid, Alexei Sorokin

Russia's sports minister moves to end cold war over World Cup

Sam Wallace: Vitaly Mutko apologises to England 2018 bid team for slurs by his compatriots.

Indian unknown, 17, cast as lead in Life of Pi film

A 17-year-old Indian student with no acting experience has beaten off 3,000 other young hopefuls to play the lead role in the film of Yann Martel's hit book Life of Pi.

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Anna Wintour: The US Vogue editor described being sacked as a 'great learning experience'

Anna Wintour: 'Being fired? it was my lucky break'

Mark Hughes: The US 'Vogue' editor says being sacked is a blessing. Is she right?

A building under construction financed by Banco Santander in Madrid. The bank blamed yesterday's profits warning on Spanish regulations

Santander in shock profits warning amid pain in Spain

Sean Farrell: Santander, the Spanish banking giant that owns Abbey and Alliance & Leicester, shocked the market yesterday by warning that annual profit would fall short of its forecasts.

Gag reflex: Three of the stars of 'The Inbetweeners' are set to appear
in new shows

Heard the one about Channel 4?

It was the home of anarchic humour in the Eighties and now it wants to define comedy for a new generation. Ian Burrell discovers why the broadcaster is playing it for laughs

The documentary, Tyrannosaurus Sex, uses expert research and cutting-edge CGI to bring to life the mating habits of the creatures which have been extinct for millions of years

The joy of rex: Are documentaries becoming sexed-up?

Tonight, dinosaurs' mating habits will be explored on our screens. Will we learn anything or is it just the latest in a long line of sexed-up documentaries?

Badger shooting is cruel, says RSPCA

New York bed bug peril goes global, sinks teeth in UN building

New York's bed bug epidemic has struck the UN headquarters which confirmed on Wednesday that the dreaded insect has been detected.

Models bloom at Oscar de la Renta's Spring 2011 show

'Forecourt flowers' are pick of the bunch again

Victoria Summerley: Once deeply out of fashion, carnations are blooming into style.

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Touch-typists catch errors on 'autopilot'

Touch-typists catch errors without even noticing them using an unconscious "autopilot", research shows.

Teachers 'care less about poor pupils'

Teachers put more effort into educating middle-class pupils because they fear antagonising "pushy parents", it is claimed.

Richard Garner: Diplomas have become Britain's forgotten qualification

'He gave his life for his country': Kirchner in Buenos Aires in 2003

Néstor Kirchner: Former President of Argentina credited with revitalising the country's economy

N�stor Kirchner was Argentina's President for four years until he surprisingly stepped aside in 2007, without campaigning, for a fellow Peronist who would become the current President.