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Peruvian highway police said that two thousand tourists have been stranded near the ruins of the ancient Machu Picchu citadel, after torrential rains caused mudslides, blocking the train route that goes from the site to Cusco. Soledad Caparo, a spokeswoman for Perurail commented that the train operator suspended service earlier today, and is trying to remove the mud that is blocking the rail. The last leg of the trip from Machu Picchu to Cusco is only possible by rail; Peruvian Tourism Minister Martin Perez remarked that the government might

Heavy fighting has broken out in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. As troops clash with Islamic fighters the European Union has said it will train 2,000 more soldiers for the country. One major battle erupted at a base used by Burundian troops. African peacekeepers as well as local soldiers working for the transitional government fought back, according to eyewitnesses. Heavy artillery was used this morning. Soldiers in Somaliland found explosives which later went off, killing at least three people. Somaliland's deputy governor, Mohamed Abdi Dim

Two people have been injured in a road traffic accident involving two vehicles on the Isle of Man. One of the two men was driving a Toyota Celica and the other a Renault Laguna. Police reported that the collision occurred at around 2150 GMT on Sunday near to the location of Greeba Castle. The two men, who were aged 32 and 19, were both injured, with the 19-year-old man having to be physically cut out of his Toyota by workers from the emergency services. Both gentlemen had to be transported to Nobles Hospital; however, police officers noted th

Bridget Gilderdale, a mother from Stonegate, East Sussex, has been found not guilty of the attempted murder of her daughter, Lynn Gilderdale—a 31-year-old sufferer of chronic fatigue syndrome (more commonly known as ME)—after her daughter was found dead at their home on 4 December, having been killed using a concoction of pills and morphine. The case has called into question the United Kingdom's assisted suicide laws. Bridget Gilderdale had already admitted to aiding and abetting her daughter's suicide, but the jury decided, unanimously, to ac

An Anglican bishop in Nigeria was abducted by armed men earlier today, according to officials. The incident occurred in Benin City, located in Edo state, where Reverend Peter Imasue was reportedly ambushed on his way home from a church. Official reports say that kidnappers trailed Imasue from Matthew Cathedral to his home, then forced their way into the premises of the residence, and locked the gateman in his security outpost. Imasue was then dragged into a vehicle. It was not immediately known where he was taken. Samuel Salifu, the secretary

The health department in Guizhou province, China has ordered three batches of milk products to be removed from sale after the discovery they contain melamine. In 2008 six children were killed by milk contaminated with the chemical and 300,000 fell ill. The department has suspended all sales from the three companies involved. Last November, two men were executed for their roles in selling milk tainted with the chemical, which was largely distributed by Samlu Corp, a company that has since been liquidised. The executed convicts mixed up batches

Apple Inc. has announced that, in the fiscal quarter that ended on December 31, its profits increased by 50% from a year earlier, the highest ever recorded for the company. The profits were equal to US$3.4 billion, or $3.67 per share. Analysts polled by the Thomson Reuters, however, forecast earnings of $2.08 a share. Apple sales, meanwhile, increased by 32% to a record $15.7 billion from $11.9 billion the year before, above the $12.1 billion predicted by economists. This is the second consecutive quarter in which Apple has made record revenu

Italian chocolatemaker Ferrero has ruled out making a bid to purchase United Kingdom confectioners Cadbury. The move comes after Cadbury's board recommended accepting a takeover bid by United States firm Kraft that valued the company at £11.9 billion sterling. Ferrero is best known for its Rocher branded chocolates and the advertisements that accompany them. It had been rumoured that the Italians would team up with another US firm, Hershey, to submit a joint bid for Cadbury. However, on Friday Hershey decided not to attempt to purchase Cadbury

Witnesses claim that a man threw a shoe at Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan, during a conference at Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. The man, however, missed the President, and was instantaneously arrested by a group of guards. Throwing shoes is a mark of great disrespect in common Arab culture. Former U.S. President, George W. Bush, was insulted in a similar fashion during a trip to Iraq in 2008. In that case, the shoe thrower was a local journalist. No reason was immediately available for this attack. Bashir is wanted by the Internation

Pakistan security forces attacked Taliban strongholds in northwest Pakistan yesterday. Aided by fighter jets and gunship helicopters they claim to have killed 21 Taliban militants in Kurram and Bajaur. The offensive targeted the remote town of Bajaur, along the Afghan border; this area has been frequently targeted to attack Islamic extremists. Sources claim the first attack occurred in the Damdola, Sewai and Shago segments of Mamoond tehsil. The latter is a renowned Taliban stronghold located only about fifteen miles northeast of the town of

Researchers at the University of Oxford, England, have published details of an improved method for growing cancer stem cells in the laboratory. They hope that the news will lead to faster progress in developing cancer treatment drugs. Learning how to tackle cancer stem cells is important for scientists because these cells may be the reason that tumours grow back after standard treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as they can self-replicate or develop into other cell types. Trevor Yeung, one of the researchers from the Weatherall I

The mystery of the location of a viewpoint used by English painter John Constable has been solved, after nearly 200 years. The Stour Valley and Dedham Church was painted in Suffolk, England, between 1814 and 1815, but changes to the landscape meant that the spot he chose was not known, despite the best efforts of historians and art experts. Now the puzzle has been answered. Martin Atkinson, who works for the National Trust as property manager for East Suffolk, used clues from the painting and looked at old maps to track down the viewpoint. Tr