George Bush tried desperately yesterday to defuse the news that the three biggest telephone firms in the US provided the National Security Agency with the records of billions of calls made by Americans. The revelation that the warrantless wiretapping authorised by President Bush was far more sweeping than the administration has admitted could derail the confirmation of Michael Hayden, a former director of the agency, as new CIA chief

President Vladimir Putin warned today that the U.S.-Russian arms race is not over and called for a strengthening of his nation's nuclear and conventional forces so Moscow can better resist foreign pressure. The remarks, in his seventh state of the nation address since taking power in 2000, follow increasingly sharp criticism of Russia's democratic and foreign policy directions from the United States, including a harsh rebuke by Vice President Dick Cheney last week in Lithuania

President Jalal Talabani urged Iraq's feuding factions today to unite against surging crime and terrorism, as attacks raged across the country. Talabani said nearly 1,091 people were killed in Baghdad alone last month, and his office said the figure came from the Baghdad Central Morgue. However, Dr

Faced with opposition from conservative groups and some pornography Web sites, the Internet's key oversight agency voted today to reject a proposal to create a red-light district on the Internet. The decision from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers reverses its preliminary approval last June to create a ".xxx" domain name for voluntary use by the adult entertainment industry. ICANN had postponed making a final decision in August after the U.S

Whirlpool Corp. said today that it will eliminate 4,500 jobs by closing three plants and consolidating corporate offices and other sites following its acquisition of rival appliance maker Maytag Corp. The moves come in the wake of Whirlpool's $1.8 billion acquisition of Maytag on March 31, extending its lead as the nation's biggest appliance maker. Whirlpool plans to close Maytag washer and dryer plants in Newton, Iowa; Herrin, Ill.; and Searcy, Ark

A pro-whaling body affiliated to the Japanese government has set up a company that aims to sell 1,000 tonnes of whale meat, most for school meals, over the next year, local media reported yesterday. The meat will be sold cheaply to makers of school lunches, and there are also plans to boost sales to "family friendly" restaurants and hospitals

Urgent planning for the deployment of a large-scale UN peacekeeping force in Darfur is being blocked by Sudan and there will be a minimum six-months delay before the force arrives in the country, British and UN officials said yesterday. The hold-up comes amid escalating concern about the plight of 3 million people in Darfur who depend on international aid to survive. The world food programme has cut food rations in half due to a shortfall in donor funds

Relations between the US and Russia sank to the lowest point in a decade yesterday when Vladimir Putin harshly rebuked Washington for its criticism last week and compared the US to a hungry wolf that "eats and listens to no one". Mr Putin, stung by an attack from Dick Cheney, the US vice-president, used his annual state of the nation address to denounce US expansionism and military spending. He also questioned Washington's record on democratic rights

More than 25 million Japanese, a fifth of the population, are at risk of a heart attack or stroke unless they drastically improve their diet and get more exercise, the government said. According to a health ministry report, 13 million people have metabolic syndrome, a condition characterised by abdominal obesity that increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. A further 14 million people are at risk of developing the syndrome, the report said

The US softened its hardline position on providing aid to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority last night in the face of a catastrophe which threatens to leave thousands of people in Gaza and the West Bank short of cash, food, medicines and petrol. Washington signalled that, while not prepared to deal with Hamas directly, it was content to let the EU, which has been the biggest donor to the Palestinians, find a way of bailing out the Palestinian Authority to prevent it from collapsing