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Activists say multiple rocket-launchers are being used by Assad forces

Syrian forces have maintained their barrage of Homs, killing at least 50 people on Monday morning, according to a senior member of the main opposition group, the Syrian National Council.

"The tally that we have received from various activists in Homs since the shelling started this morning is 50, mostly civilians. The regime is acting as if it were immune to international intervention and has a free hand to use violence against the people," Catherine al-Talli told Reuters.

The bombardment of the city where scores of people died over the weekend continued as the US sought to build an international coalition outside the auspices of the UN which could impose further sanctions against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and China defended its decision to join Russia in vetoing a UN resolution calling on the Syrian president to resign.

The latest attacks on several districts of Homs formed the most violent bombardment in recent days, according to one Syria-based activist who had spoken to people in the city. Homs has been a centre of resistance during the 11-month uprising, in which more than 6,000 people have died.

A makeshift hospital in the neighbourhood of Baba Amr was among the targets hit by Monday's bombardment, according to the Local Co-ordinating Committees activist group.

One resident told Reuters that around 150 people had been wounded. "They want to drive the Free Syrian Army out," said Hussein Nader, referring to the rebel force of army deserters and gunmen. "Rockets are falling seconds apart on the same target."

Another local activist said multiple rocket-launchers were being used by Assad forces. Such claims have not been independently verified. Explosions could be heard and smoke could be seen rising from some buildings in live footage being broadcast by Arab satellite television stations.

In the Khalidiyeh district of the city, "we did not sleep all night", activist Majd Amer told Associated Press. "The regime is committing organised crimes."

Amer said shelling had started at 3am local time, and most residents living on high floors either fled to shelters or to lower floors. Electricity was also cut.

There were also claims that a military post in the north-east of the country had destroyed over by Syrian army deserters overnight.

Three officers were killed and 19 soldiers captured in the attack, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. No deserters were killed in attack in the village of Al Bara in the Edleb region, said the group.

Activists also said Zabadani, a town north-west of Damascus near the Lebanese border which has been largely under the control of Assad's opponents for weeks, had come under fire on Monday.

Anti-government activists say they fear that the veto will embolden Assad's regime, pushing the country into outright civil war.

Hillary Clinton said the US would work with other nations to try to tighten "regional and national" sanctions against Assad's government "to dry up the sources of funding and the arms shipments that are keeping the regime's war machine going".

"We will work to expose those who are still funding the regime and sending it weapons that are used against defenceless Syrians, including women and children," she said. "We will work with the friends of a democratic Syria around the world to support the opposition's peaceful political plans for change."

Clinton did not say what the new group would set out to achieve. But it appeared that the United States might seek to help organise a "Friends of Syria" group – proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy after the veto – to advance the Arab League initiative given the inability to make headway at the UN because of Russian and Chinese opposition.

All 13 other members of the security council voted to back the resolution, which would have "fully supported" the Arab League plan for Assad to cede powers to a deputy, a withdrawal of troops from towns and a start to a transition to democracy.

Russia said the resolution was biased and would have meant taking sides in a civil war. Syria is Moscow's only big ally in the Middle East, home to a Russian naval base and customer for its arms. China's veto appeared to follow Russia's lead.

China's state-run media said western intervention in Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq showed the error of forced regime change.

"Currently, the situation in Syria is extremely complex. Simplistically supporting one side and suppressing the other might seem a helpful way of turning things around, but in fact it would be sowing fresh seeds of disaster," the People's Daily said.

• Syria
• Middle East and North Africa

James Meikle
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A factory building collapses in the Pakistani city of Lahore, with dozens of people including child workers feared trapped, officials say.

Party leaders in Greece are to resume crisis talks on new austerity measures demanded by EU leaders in return for funds needed to avoid defaulting on its debts.

Chronicle, a film about teenagers with super powers, beats Daniel Radcliffe thriller The Woman in Black to top the North American film chart.

Forecasters warn biting temperatures, snow showers and overnight frosts could last until end of February, as first spell of wintry weather forces Heathrow to cancel half of its flights.

David Miliband say he does not want to join Labour's shadow cabinet because of "daily soap opera" with his brother, Ed.

Warmer weather across Wales will be followed by another cold snap later in the week, say forecasters, as warnings of ice remain.

The NPG has gathered by far the best large selection of Lucian Freud's work, says Richard Dorment.

UK house prices increased by 0.6% in January, according to the latest survey from the Halifax.

Prime minister Lucas Papademos faces an uphill struggle to win over fellow party leaders on austerity reforms and secure a deal with foreign lenders to avoid a disorderly default in March

Greece's economic future is still hanging in the balance after the prime minister, Lucas Papademos, held crucial talks with party leaders in an attempt to rally support for the stringent reforms Athens must enact in return for aid.

With at least one political leader in the coalition government publicly refusing to endorse the rescue package, it was far from certain whether Papademos would win backing and keep bankruptcy at bay when the talks resume on Monday.

Before the meeting, the Greek finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, described negotiations with foreign lenders as being "on a razor's edge". To avert a disorderly default, Greece must secure financial support by 20 March when it faces €14.5bn (£12bn) of loan repayments. Monday is seen as a sort of financial crunch day for Greece by creditors who will decide whether Athens deserves to be bailed out for a second time to the tune of €130bn.

"The moment is very crucial," Venizelos said after emerging from 12 hours of talks with officials representing the EU, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the "troika" propping up the near-insolvent Greek economy. "Crucial issues which concern the future of the country and the Greek people remain [unresolved]. The distance separating the procedure being completed with success from stalemate … is very small. It's a very fine line. We are on a razor's edge," he said.

A subsequent teleconference with finance ministers from the eurozone had been "very difficult", Venizelos said. "There is great impatience and great pressure not only from the three institutions that make up the troika but also from eurozone member states," he added.

On Sunday night, Charles Dallara, the banker who represents private bondholders currently negotiating a debt swap deal with the Greek government, also held talks with Papademos. Further raising the pressure on Athens, eurozone ministers said the country would not be able to close a deal on restructuring its debt unless it implemented essential changes to modernise its economy.

Wage and pension cuts are at the heart of the discord. While international creditors remain adamant the reduction of the minimum wage and abolition of two salaries granted to workers as bonuses in the private sector are key to boosting competitiveness, the government has called the measures "a red line" which it will not cross.

Other demands include a 35% drop in supplementary pensions and the cutting of 150,000 public sector jobs in organisations due to be closed down.

Greek officials have argued that the cutbacks will be self-defeating by deepening a recession that has already brought the economy to its knees. Party leaders, trade unions and employers' associations have predicted social upheaval if the measures are applied. "If it doesn't suit us and the troika doesn't budge we will not take the package," said Giorgos Karatzaferis, who heads the populist, far-right Laos party, before heading into the meeting. "We will not give in to ultimatums."

With general elections due to take place in the spring, politicians are keen not to be associated with policies that have spawned such popular opposition.

But highlighting the gravity of the moment, Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the eurogroup of finance ministers, voiced the possibility of default. "If we were to establish that everything has gone wrong in Greece, there would be no programme and that would mean that in March they have to declare bankruptcy," he said, in comments to the German news weekly Der Spiegel.

Greek insiders said the possibility of bankruptcy loomed larger than at any other time. "The troika is not negotiating, it's dictating," an insider said. "When you negotiate you expect both sides to move, but they're like a rock. They're basically saying it's this or default. Our sense is that they would prefer the shock of a Greek default than throwing money into a country they have come to see as a bottomless pit. The problem is the measures are so hard, so painful, that it is hard to see how all three leaders will accept them."

• Eurozone crisis
• European Union
• Economics
• Europe
• Greece

Helena Smith
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Drivers are being warned of black ice, while some schools are closed, following the snow which fell across much of Britain at the weekend.

Heavy artillery fire rocks the restive Syrian city of Homs, in what anti-government activists are calling one of the fiercest assaults yet.

Sixty years ago today King George VI died and his 25-year-old daughter Princess Elizabeth became Queen.

Rival Palestinian factions agree to name President Mahmoud Abbas head of an interim government which would prepare for elections, officials say.

England coach Fabio Capello says he disagrees with the Football Association's decision to strip John Terry of the national team's captaincy.

Jailed terrorists are radicalising vulnerable young Muslims in prison, a report by MPs has disclosed.

At least two dead after three-storey building in Lahore collapses, trapping mostly women and children in the rubble

At least two people were killed and up to 100 trapped, thought to be mostly women and children, after a factory collapsed in Lahore.

The desperate cries of children could be heard from beneath the rubble, including two sisters pleading to be pulled out, as rescuers battled to remove the debris of the three-storey factory. It appeared that the facility's boiler or stored gas cylinders had exploded at around 8.30am local time on Monday.

Reports said up to 100 people were stuck beneath wreckage, with two bodies and 15 injured pulled out by noon with the help of mechanical diggers. Many of the trapped were children, who had provided cheap labour at the medicine plant, which was located against regulations amid narrow streets in a residential area. It was believed the survivors could be trapped in the basement.

Angry residents said the factory had been previously closed up to five times on court orders but the political connections of its owners had got it reopened. The owner of the house adjoining the plant, which was also destroyed in the blast, said he had been fighting since 2005 to get police and the courts to shut the factory.

Senior Lahore city official Ahad Cheema, speaking to reporters at the scene, said: "Illegal commercial units are a big problem. It will take time to solve this issue. I'm told this factory was sealed two or three times."

The revelations about the illegality of the factory will add to the political problems of the provincial government of Punjab, which is run by the main opposition party. The administration of Shahbaz Sharif, brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has been hit by multiple crisis of governance, including a deadly outbreak of Dengue fever in 2011 and a scandal this year over medicines given to heart patients at a public hospital that turned out to be poisonous and killed 120 people.

• Pakistan
• Child labour

Saeed Shah
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Opposition leader gets official approval from Burmese election commission to stand in parliamentary poll in April

Burma's election commission has given the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi the green light to run for parliamentary byelections, another step toward political openness in a country emerging from nearly half a century of military rule.

Aung San Suu Kyi announced her intention last month to stand in elections in April but was waiting for official approval from the commission, which said it had to scrutinise her eligibility.

A spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi's party said the commission approved her candidacy and would make a formal announcement on Monday. "There is no objection to her nomination and we can say that her candidacy is officially accepted," Nyan Win said.

The new, nominally civilian government, which took office last March, has surprised even some of the country's toughest critics by releasing hundreds of political prisoners, signing ceasefire deals with ethnic rebels, increasing media freedoms and easing censorship laws.

Burma's government hopes the rapid changes will prompt the west to lift economic sanctions that were imposed on the country during the military junta's rule. Western governments and the United Nations have said they will review sanctions only after gauging whether the April polls are carried out freely and fairly.

The election is being held to fill 48 parliamentary seats vacated by lawmakers who were appointed to the cabinet and other posts.

Even if Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party wins all 48 seats, it will have minimal power. The 440-seat lower house of parliament is heavily weighted with military appointees and allies of the former junta.

But a victory would be historic for Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who spent most of the past two decades under house arrest. She would have a voice in parliament for the first time after decades as the country's opposition leader. Her party won a sweeping victory in the 1990 general election but the junta refused to honour the results.

Aung San Suu Kyi will run for a seat representing Kawhmu, a poor district south of Yangon where villagers' livelihoods were devastated by cyclone Nargis in 2008.

• Aung San Suu Kyi
• Burma

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This is the year of the small-screen baby, says Harry Wallop. But isn't it about time fathers got a look in?

Francois Truffaut, the film critic and director who brought the French New Wave to cinema, would have celebrated his 80th birthday today and has been honoured with a Google doodle.

In pictures: the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952.

Sky-high bills are leaving us much worse off, but their are ways you can keep your costs down.

The transformation from Princess Elizabeth to monarch, 1950-55.

The Aged P - or Aged Parent - from Great Expectations, is one of Charles Dickens's finest comic creations and is the sixth in the Telegraph pick of the best Charles Dickens characters.

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• Madame Defarge: My favourite Charles Dickens character

Beijing hardens line against European Union emissions levy that is also opposed by the US and India

China has banned its airlines from paying the new European Union carbon charge, state news agency Xinhua has reported – stepping up the international battle over the scheme.

The levy applies to all airlines flying to and from EU countries. Companies that do not comply face fines and ultimately could be banned from using EU airports.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on Monday that airlines were not allowed to pay the EU charge, increase freight costs or add other fees, according to Xinhua. It cited authorisation from the state council, China's cabinet.

Hinting at possible retaliation, Xinhua added: "China will consider adopting necessary measures to protect interests of Chinese individuals and companies, pending the development of the issue."

The EU's ambassador in Beijing, Markus Ederer, told a press briefing it hoped to resolve the issue through negotiation. Beijing's announcement came one week before a China-EU summit.

Although the scheme came into force from 1 January, fees do not have to be paid until March 2013. Supporters believe including aviation in the emissions trading scheme is crucial because the industry's carbon output is soaring.

China, the US, India and others are bitterly opposed to the scheme, leading to fears it could spark a trade war.

A US attempt to overturn the scheme was rejected by the European court of justice in December.

Chinese airlines have already vowed to ignore the scheme. China argues it is unreasonable to apply the levy to developing nations and wants the costs of reducing carbon to be passed on to aircraft manufacturers.

Critics also argue that regulation of the industry should be negotiated at the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organisation. But European leaders say they have been waiting for years for the ICAO to act.

Connie Hedegaard, the EU's climate action commissioner, has stressed the scheme allows for "equivalent measures" – other forms of carbon reduction – to be taken into account.

Chai Haibo, the deputy secretary of the China Air Transport Association, told Bloomberg: "I believe all sides will negotiate again and find a solution … I can't imagine that the worst case, such as the EU grounding Chinese flights, could happen."

• China
• European Union
• Europe
• Carbon emissions
• Climate change
• Carbon tax
• Carbon offsetting
• Air transport
• Travel and transport

Tania Branigan
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Collapsing wall kills child and tsunami alert is issued but no evacuations ordered

One child died and a local tsunami alert was issued after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake followed by two aftershocks struck off the Philippines island of Negros on Monday morning.

The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it warned residents along coastal areas to be on the watch for unusual waves as it raised a tsunami alert at level two but did not order evacuations.

The institute warned structurally weak buildings may sustain damages. The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said that based on all available data a Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected.

People rushed out of schools, malls and offices during the quake. Officials in some areas suspended work and cancelled classes.

A child died when a concrete fence collapsed in Taysan town in Negros Oriental province, said Benito Ramos, who heads the Office of Civil Defence.

A mall in San Carlos city in neighbouring Negros Occidental province was damaged when its windows were shattered, he said. The quake was also felt in Cebu, where it lasted about 30 seconds.

The Philippines is located in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A 7.7-magnitude quake killed nearly 2,000 people in Luzon in 1990.

The quake was about 6.2 miles underground and centred three miles off the shore of Tayasan, Negros Oriental. It was felt at magnitude 7 in Dumaguete City and intensity 6 in Bacolod City, according to the institute.

The US Geological Survey put the quake at 6.7 in magnitude and a depth of 12.4 miles.

Half an hour later there were wo aftershocks, of 4.8 and 5.6 magnitude on the USGS scale.

"Damage is possible in areas hit by at least intensity 5 and if the buildings are structurally weak," said Renato Solidum, head of the volcanology and seismology institute.

• Philippines
• Natural disasters and extreme weather
• Asia Pacific

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London hearing to decide whether radical cleric should be freed after extradition to Jordan was blocked by Europe court

A radical Muslim cleric described as a grave threat to Britain's national security could walk free on Monday.

Abu Qatada, who is being held at Long Lartin high-security prison in Worcestershire, will apply to be released on bail as he fights deportation to Jordan.

Lawyers for the home secretary, Theresa May, are expected to oppose bail while British diplomats continue to seek assurances from the Jordanian authorities that evidence gained through torture would not be used against him.

Such evidence is the main reason Qatada, once described by a Spanish judge as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", won an appeal to the European court of human rights in January. The judges ruled that sending Qatada back to face terror charges without such assurances would deny him his right to a fair trial and be a "flagrant denial of justice".

May has vowed Qatada, held for six and a half years, will be kept behind bars while she considers all legal options to send him back. The Home Office has said he "poses a real risk to national security".

At a hearing in central London, Qatada's defence team will urge an immigration judge to release him. The judge, Mr Justice Mitting, has said: "Six and a half years of detention requires the eligibility for bail to be considered urgently.

"I accept that it's possible that negotiations with the Jordanian government may produce a rapid solution but past experience ... leads me to believe that is likely to be an unrealistic expectation."

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) will hold a full bail hearing on Monday morning.

January's verdict is the first time the Strasbourg-based court has found that an extradition would be in violation the right to a fair trial as required by the European convention on human rights, which is enshrined in UK law under the Human Rights Act.

The home secretary has three months to lodge an appeal with the court's grand chamber.

The Henry Jackson Society thinktank has said the ECHR ruling "undermines national security" while the former home secretary David Blunkett said Qatada was "extraordinarily dangerous and we don't want him on our streets".

Qatada, 51, is also known as Omar Othman. He featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers.

Since 2001, when fears of the domestic terror threat rose in the aftermath of the attacks, he has challenged and ultimately thwarted every attempt by the government to detain and deport him.

Law lords ruled almost three years ago that he could be sent back to Jordan and Lord Phillips, now president of the supreme court, said torture in another country did not require the UK "to retain in this country, to the detriment of national security, a terrorist suspect".

But the European went against that judgment, agreeing with a 2008 decision of the UK court of appeal that there were reasonable grounds for believing Qatada would be denied a fair trial in Jordan.

• Abu Qatada
• European court of human rights
• Torture
• Human rights
• Human Rights Act
• Foreign policy
• Terrorism policy
• UK security and terrorism
• Global terrorism
• Theresa May

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Commonwealth countries of Antigua-Barbuda and St Vincent-Grenadines among those supporting blocking British ships

A group of Caribbean countries have agreed to back Buenos Aires and block any ships flying the Falklands flag from docking in their ports, Argentina's foreign minister Hector Timerman has said.

They include the Commonwealth countries of Antigua-Barbuda and St Vincent-Grenadines, along with Cuba, Nicaragua and Dominica, Timerman said.

Argentina received strong support for its blockade at a meeting in Venezuela of a left-leaning bloc of South American and Caribbean nations.

The Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, said: "It is time for Latin America to decide sanctions against this mistaken power that pretends to be imperialist and colonialist in the 21st century.

"I think we have to apply more forceful things. We have to talk about sanctions."

Argentina hopes that diplomatic and economic measures will pressure Britain to comply with UN resolutions encouraging both countries to negotiate the islands' sovereignty. Britain has refused so far.

Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela, said: "If it should occur to the British empire to attack Argentina militarily, Argentina won't be alone this time.

"Venezuela is no power, but we've got some weapons and the will to face any imperialist aggression."

Tensions have risen as the 30th anniversary of Argentina's invasion nears.

• Falkland Islands
• Americas
• Military
• Defence policy
• Foreign policy
• Argentina

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Monarch reminds Britain of 'spirit of togetherness' as Republic group prepare to demonstrate against 60th anniversary pageant

The Queen is issuing a message of thanks to the public on Monday morning on the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

In a statement from Buckingham Palace, the 85-year-old monarch promises to dedicate herself anew to the service of the country, and echoes a call that she made in her Christmas message for the restoration of a national spirit of togetherness.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will spend the day at Sandringham, the Norfolk mansion where her father, George VI, died in his sleep on 6 February 1952.

The couple were out in the snow on Sunday, for a service at West Newton church, on the estate and being greeted with flowers from well-wishers. They visited the local Sunday school in the village hall, but a 90th anniversary parade by the Royal British Legion, in King's Lynn, which the duke had planned to attend, was cancelled due to the weather.

The Queen's message says: "Today, as I mark 60 years as your Queen, I am writing to thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement that you have given to me and Prince Philip over these years and to tell you how deeply moved we have been to receive so many kind messages about the diamond jubilee.

"In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope that we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the UK and the wider Commonwealth.

"I hope also that this jubilee year will be a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear heads and warm hearts as we join together in our celebrations. I send my sincere good wishes to you all."

Responding, David Cameron praised the Queen's dignity and authority, guiding and uniting Britain and the Commonwealth over six decades. To view her as a glittering ornament was to "misunderstand" the constitution. "Always dedicated, always resolute and always respected, she is a source of wisdom and continuity," he said.

Cameron, the 12th PM of the reign, who was not even born until she had been on the throne for more than 14 years, added: "All my life and for the lives of most people in this country she has always been there for us. Today and this year we have the chance to say thank you."

The main focus of the celebrations will be the first weekend in June, extended by two successive bank holidays, when there will be a riverboat pageant of 1,000 vessels sailing down the Thames through London, expected to be attended by a million spectators, an open-air concert at Buckingham Palace, and a service at St Paul's Cathedral.

anti-monarchy group Republic, which said its members would demonstrate peacefully against the pageant, argued that schools and the BBC should not be overly enthusiastic about the celebrations.

The Queen and duke are due to visit many areas of Britain and Northern Ireland in the summer, and other members of the royal family are visiting Commonwealth nations, starting in March with Prince Harry in his first official solo tour, to the Caribbean and Latin America.

On Mondaya jubilee website, is being launched with news about events during the year and two newly commissioned photographs of the Queen. There will also be commemorative postage stamps and a charitable diamond jubilee trust, led by Sir John Major, to raise money for medical research and education across the Commonwealth.

The former prime minister said the trust would "identify charitable projects that would enrich the lives and opportunities of all its citizens to provide a lasting legacy".

The anniversary was not met entirely with unalloyed joy however as some economists said the June holiday could dent GDP by 0.5% in the second quarter as firms closed and people took extra leave, though they conceded this could be made up by sales of jubilee souvenirs, food and drink purchases for street parties, and tourist revenue.

• Queen's diamond jubilee
• Monarchy
• The Queen
• Prince Philip

Stephen Bates
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US president doubts Israel has yet decided on whether to strike, but America keeps all options open

Barack Obama has said that the United States will work in "lockstep" with Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, but he did not believe Israel had decided whether to launch a military strike.

The US president's comments appeared to be an attempt to downplay speculation that Israel was preparing to attack Iran following a report last week that the US defence secretary, Leon Panetta, believes an Israeli strike could happen this spring.

Obama told NBC television in an interview from the White House on Sunday that Israel is "rightly" very concerned about Iran's nuclear program, but said: "I don't think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do".

He said that he hopes that the crisis will be resolved diplomatically but reiterated that the US has removed no option from consideration.

Asked about a potential attack by Iran on the US minlanbd, Obama said, "We don't see any evidence that they have those intentions or capabilities right now."

Tensions between Israel and Iran have continued to ratchet up in recent days. The Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak claimed on Thursday that there is a "wide global understanding" that military action may be needed, while Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called Israel on Friday a "cancerous tumor that should be cut [out] and will bet".

Meanwhile, Obama said during the same interview that he deserves re-election, despite the difficulties of the US economy, adding that his administration is creating more than 250,000 jobs a month, the most since 2005, and a reversal from the 750,000 jobs the economy was losing three years ago.

The president said US manufacturing still needs a boost: "We have got to make sure we are pushing American energy, not just oil and gas, but clean energy."

Obama also said the country needed to return to "old-fashioned American values," so "everyone gets a fair shake".

Three years ago, Obama had said if the economy hadn't turned around by this time, his presidency would be "a one-term proposition".

• Barack Obama
• United States
• Israel
• Middle East and North Africa
• Iran
• Nuclear weapons
• Global terrorism
• US elections 2012
• US politics
• US economy
• Economics

Ben Quinn
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Frigid temperatures have gripped Europe in the last week, with the mercury reaching as low as 35 degrees Celsius below zero. After what had been a relatively mild winter, the sudden cold caught many unprepared. Eastern Europe is hardest hit, with over 100 deaths in Ukraine, and with over 11,000 people in remote villages cut off by snow in Serbia. Most of the fatalities recorded have been homeless people found frozen to death outside, and emergency tents with hot meals have been set up to help them in several affected countries. Russia and Poland are mobilizing help for the homeless. Travel in Romania has been chaos as a blizzard hampered efforts to clear both rails and roads. Recorded temperatures in Italy were the lowest in 27 years. -- Lane Turner (45 photos total)
A woman looks out a bus in Bucharest on February 2, 2012. (Vadim Ghirda/Associated Press)

The New Year began violently in Afghanistan, with three bombings killing 13 people in one day in Kandahar. In addition, the French Defense minister told soldiers he backed US efforts to open peace talks with the Taliban, and President Obama was in talks about defense priorites as the US military readied for challenges from China and Iran while downplaying any future counterinsurgency efforts like the ones in Afghanistan or Iraq. Meanwhile, the foreign troop withdrawal process continued, as more responsibility was transferred to Afghan security forces. The goal is a complete withdrawal by the end of 2014. -- Lloyd Young (41 photos total)
Afghan policemen march during the transfer of authority from NATO troops to Afghan security forces in Chaghcharan, Ghor province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Jan. 4. The security responsibilities of Chaghcharan, the provincial capital of Ghor province is handed over from the NATO forces to Afghan security forces. The process of taking over security from over 130,000-strong NATO-led ISAF forces by Afghan troops would be completed by the end of 2014 when Afghanistan will take over the full leadership of its own security duties from US and NATO forces. (Hoshang Hashimi/Associated Press)

Coal occupies a central position in modern human endeavors. Last year over 7000 megatons were mined worldwide. Powerful, yet dirty and dangerous, use of coal is expanding every year, with 2010 witnessing a production increase of 6.8%. Around 70 countries have recoverable reserves, which some estimates claim will last for over a hundred years at current production levels. Mining for coal is one of the world's most dangerous jobs. While deadliest in China, where thousands of miners die annually, the profession is still hazardous in the West and other regions as well. Our mining and use of coal accounts for a variety of environmental hazards, including the production of more CO2 than any other source. Other concerns include acid rain, groundwater contamination, respiratory issues, and the waste products which contain heavy metals. But our lives as lived today rely heavily on the combustible sedimentary rock. Over 40% of the world's electricity is generated by burning coal, more than from any other source. Chances are that a significant percentage of the electricity you're using to read this blog was generated by burning coal. Gathered here are images of coal extraction, transportation, and the impact on environment and society. The first eight photographs are by Getty photographer Daniel Berehulak, who documented the lives of miners in Jaintia Hills, India. -- Lane Turner (48 photos total)
22-year-old Shyam Rai from Nepal makes his way through tunnels inside of a coal mine 300 ft beneath the surface on April 13, 2011 near the village of Latyrke, in the district of Jaintia Hills, India. In the Jaintia hills, located in India's far northeast state of Meghalaya, miners descend to great depths on slippery, rickety wooden ladders. Children and adults squeeze into rat hole like tunnels in thousands of privately owned and unregulated mines, extracting coal with their hands or primitive tools and no safety equipment. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

For the first time ever, young athletes gathered Jan. 13-22 in Austria for the Winter Youth Olympic Games. The event began with traditional opening ceremonies for more than 1,000 competitors from more than 70 nations. Ranging in age from 14 to 18, they competed in the 15 core events held at the Olympic Games. Keep an eye out for the names you see here, as they may appear again in Sochi, Russia, during the XXII Winter Olympics in February 2014. -- Lloyd Young (29 photos total)
The flag bearer from Austria, Tamara Grascher enters the stadium during the opening ceremony of the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck Jan. 13, 2012. (Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters)

A massive demonstration of Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo today to mark the anniversary of the uprising that eventually led to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak. Political divides are still in force with liberals and Islamists differing on their visions for the future of the country. Mubarak is now on trial for complicity in the deaths of protesters. The uprising in Egypt last year was one of the initial protests of what is called the Arab Spring, which has included the slaying of Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy and the ongoing protests in Syria. -- Lloyd Young (31 photos total)
Egyptians gather in their thousands in Tahrir Square to mark the one year anniversary of the revolution on Jan. 25, 2012 in Cairo Egypt. Tens of thousands have gathered in the square on the first anniversary of the Arab uprising which toppled President Hosni Mubarak. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The lunar new year is celebrated throughout the world, but especially in Asia when the lunisolar calendar ticks off a new cycle. This year is the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese zodiac, and is viewed as very auspicious. In China, the holiday is known as 春节, the Spring Festival, and kicks off 15 days of celebration. It also triggers the largest human migration in the world, as hundreds of millions of Chinese trek to see families. Gathered here are images of the preparation for the holiday, the travel scene in mainland China, and celebrations in many parts of the world. 新年快乐! -- Lane Turner/雷恩 (38 photos total)
Chinese folk artists perform the lion dance at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year on January 22, 2012 in Beijing. Also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar calendar, it is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with the Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth day. (Feng Li/Getty Images)

The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has been held since 1963, interrupted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution until it was resumed in 1985. Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province, in northeastern China. It is nicknamed "Ice City" and aptly so for winter January temperatures that average minus 18 degrees Celsius, under the influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia. The festival officially starts January 5th and lasts one month, although exhibits often stay open longer, weather permitting. Harbin is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival and Norway's Ski Festival. -- Paula Nelson (28 photos total)
Tourists visit ice sculptures during the testing period of the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival officially launched January 5, 2012. (Sheng Li/Reuters)

The search continued for those still missing after the Costa Concordia luxury cruise ship smashed into a reef off the coast of Giglio, Italy, and partially sank last weekend. Eleven deaths were confirmed on Tuesday. The ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, has been accused of manslaughter by prosecutors after he left the ship before all passengers were evacuated. -- Lloyd Young (34 photos total)
A rescuer being lowered on the cruise liner Costa Concordia on Jan. 18 that ran aground in front of the harbor of the Isola del Giglio (Giglio island) after hitting underwater rocks on January 13. Emergency workers fear that the ship could slip from its resting place on a rocky shelf and slip into deeper waters. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images)

Kalachakra is an ancient ritual that involves a series of prayers, meditations, dances, chants, vows and the construction of a large sand mandala - all with the aim to bring world peace. Kalachakra 2012 began January 1 and lasted for ten days in the northern Indian state of Bihar. The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Spiritual Leader, gave teachings and participated over the course of the festival. -- Paula Nelson (41 photos total)
A Buddhist devotee holds a lotus flower as she waits to welcome spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in the town of Bodhgaya, believed to be the place where Buddha attained enlightenment, for the upcoming Kalachakra Buddhist festival in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, India. The Kalachakra, the most important ritual of the Mahayana sect of traditional Buddhists, begins Dec. 31. (Altaf Qadri/Associated Press)

Traversing over 8000 miles through Argentina, Chile, and Peru, the Dakar rally pits drivers and riders against each other and against extreme terrain. The 14-stage race attracts competitors from over 50 countries to race 465 vehicles - motorcycles, quad bikes, cars, and trucks - through deserts, rivers, and mountains. The race has seen its share of tragedy over the years, and the 2012 edition is no different, with Argentine motorcycle rider Jorge Boero dying after a crash near the end of the very first stage, and two spectators dying when their ultralight aircraft crashed. Begun on January 1st, the race concludes Saturday in Lima, Peru. -- Lane Turner (37 photos total)
Marc Coma races his KTM in the 10th stage of the 2012 Argentina-Chile-Peru Dakar Rally between Iquique and Arica, Chile on January 11, 2012. (Jerome Prevost/Associatied Press/Pool)