The former Penn State coach at the centre of a child abuse investigation that has shocked the US has admitted in an interview showering with young boys, but denies being a paedophile.Jerry Sandusky told NBC News that he had "horsed around with kids", hugged them and touched their legs, but was innocent of the charges against him. In a phone interview, he said he should not have showered with the children. Mr Sandusky, 67, is accused of abusing at least eight boys over 15 years. According to...

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Libyan factions in deadly clashes near Zawiya

Several days of fighting between rival factions near the Libyan coastal city of Zawiya have left at least seven people dead, reports say.The BBC's Karen Allen in Libya says rival communities have been fighting for an area previously controlled by Gaddafi loyalists. The interim government said the fighting had been resolved. However analysts say the violence raises questions about stability in post-Gaddafi Libya. The country is still awash with weapons and armed groups following the rebellion...

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Australia's Gillard urges U-turn on India uranium sales

Australia's prime minister has called for the country's ban on selling uranium to India to be overturned.Julia Gillard wrote in a newspaper column that it made no sense to sell nuclear material to China, Japan and the US, but not to India. Ms Gillard's Labor Party introduced the ban in 2008 because India had not signed the non-proliferation treaty. Australia holds about 40% of the world's proven reserves of uranium and supplies about 20% of the world market. The country has no nuclear power facilities...

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Occupy Wall Street: New York police clearing protest

Police in New York have launched a pre-dawn operation to clear the Occupy Wall Street camp in Zuccotti Park.The city mayor's office said on Twitter that the protesters should "temporarily leave and remove tents and tarps" but could return once the park was clear. Occupy Wall Street was set up in September to protests against economic inequality and had been followed by dozens of protests around the world. A camp in Oakland, California was cleared overnight on Monday. The New York Times said that...

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Euro crisis 'opportunity for UK' to reclaim powers - PM

 The current turmoil in Europe is an opportunity for the UK to "refashion" its relationship with Brussels, David Cameron has said.In a speech in London, the prime minister argued powers should "ebb back" from Brussels to Westminster as part of "fundamental" future reform. Although the EU is "out of touch" on many issues, he said it is not in the UK's national interest to exit. The PM is under pressure from many of his MPs to renegotiate UK membership. Some Conservatives want to go further...

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Dozens killed in Syria as Jordan king tells Assad to go

Dozens of people are reported to have died in continuing unrest across Syria, as the king of neighbouring Jordan urged President Assad to stand down.In one incident, about 20 troops were killed in a clash with army defectors in a southern town near the Jordan border, activists say. King Abdullah became the first Arab leader to openly urge Mr Assad to quit. He told the BBC that if he were in Mr Assad's position, he would start talks to ensure an orderly transition. "I would step down and make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change...

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Syria defiant over Arab League suspension

 Opposition supporters rallied in the Syrian town of Hula on SundayContinue reading the main story Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem has reacted defiantly to the Arab League's suspension of Syria over its crackdown on protesters.He denounced the move as a "dangerous step" and said it was an illegitimate decision prompted by US incitement.He said Syria would not budge from what he called its strong positions, adding that all "plots" against it would fail.The Arab League voted on Saturday...

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