Israeli strike on Gaza school 'kills 30'At least 30 people are killed and 55 injured as Israeli artillery shells land by a United Nations-run school in Gaza, UN officials say.European gas supplies disruptedSeveral EU countries report major disruption to their gas supplies from Russia as Moscow accuses Ukraine of shutting pipelines.German billionaire kills himselfGerman billionaire Adolf Merckle commits suicide after his business empire runs into trouble in the global economic slowdown.Senate snub as US Congress opensThe new US Congress opens amid a row over the man chosen to fill Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.Singh accuses Pakistan on MumbaiThe Mumbai attack must have had support from some official agencies in Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says.Gunmen kidnap Nigerian novelistRenowned Nigerian writer and novelist Elechi Amadi has been kidnapped by gunmen in the Niger Delta region, say officials.Congo rebels back 'ousted' chiefRebel commanders in eastern DR Congo pledge loyalty to Gen Nkunda after claims he had been toppled.Venezuela suspends US fuel aidVenezuela's US-based oil subsidiary is halting a programme to provide cheap heating oil to low-income communities in the US.Payout for Arabic shirt passengerAn air passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script is awarded a payout of $240,000, his lawyers say.Nigerian motorcyclists wear pumpkins to evade helmet lawNigerian authorities are cracking down on motorcyclists who try to dodge fines for not having a helmet by wearing dried pumpkin shells.Females 'less physically active' than males at both ends of lifeFemales are less physically active at both ends of life than their male counterparts, two studies suggest.Live text - Carling CupHolders Tottenham host Championship side Burnley in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.South Africa face tough final daySouth Africa reach the close of day four on 62-1 - needing a further 314 runs to complete a clean sweep of the series.Year of change?Mugabe's exit and other forecasts for Africa in 2009Parrot paradise?World's biggest parrot colony faces growing pressuresBuyers bewareEuropeans uneasy over Russia's role as gas supplierPressure risingRussia ups ante in bitter gas dispute with UkraineNo commentWhy Obama has stayed silent over the Gaza crisisKabul winterFacing the cold is a heated issue in AfghanistanEthiopia imposes aid agency curbsEthiopia's parliament passes a bill imposing restricting aid work, for example promoting the rights of children.Zuma 'seeks to take third wife'South Africa's ruling party says there is "nothing sinister" in its leader Jacob Zuma wishing to take a third wife.Warning over 'third-hand smoke'Many people are unaware that even smoking away from babies or pregnant women presents a risk, according to US research.Hemingway archive opens in CubaCuba opens up electronic access to thousands of documents belonging to writer Ernest Hemingway.Toyota shuts plants for 11 daysToyota announces that it is to halt production at its domestic plants for 11 days in February and March.Thais block 'anti-royal' websitesThe Thai government blocks thousands of websites deemed to be offensive to the revered monarchy.Mob drama gets Scorsese backingOscar-winning director Martin Scorsese publicly endorses an Italian drama about organised crime in Naples.Bulgaria urges return to nuclearBulgaria's president suggests that a nuclear reactor deemed unsafe by the EU could help cover gas shortages.New US embassy opens in BaghdadThe new US embassy in Baghdad - one of the largest and most expensive ever built - is officially opened in Iraq's capital.Baghdad bomb kills Shia pilgrimsA female suicide bomber kills at least 35 Shia pilgrims including Iranians near a shrine in Baghdad, Iraqi police say.Gunmen raid Sri Lanka TV stationGunmen ransack a Sri Lanka television channel that drew criticism for its recent coverage of the country's civil war.Democracy returns in BangladeshDemocratic rule returns to Bangladesh as Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina is sworn in as PM for a second time.Afghanistan's continuing miseryMore than seven years of Western aid has failed to make a real impact on daily life in Afghanistan, the BBC's Hugh Sykes reports.What Cubans brought to MiamiThe son of Cuban exiles living in the US, the BBC's Americas editor Emilio San Pedro talks about growing up in a proud immigrant community.Send your video, pictures and story ideasHave you got a good story? BBC News wants to hear from you.