China is awarding its own peace prize to counter the Nobel that recognised imprisoned democracy campaigner Liu Xiaobo.

Several Western diplomats said China is pressuring European governments to shun the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony next month for imprisoned democracy activist Liu Xiaobo and not to make any statements in support of him.

Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak were named as winners of the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine today for research that has implications for cancer and ageing research.

Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak were named as winners of the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine today for research that has implications for cancer and ageing research.

Talks on resolving Honduras’ leadership crisis broke off after the interim government rejected a proposed compromise, saying a provision calling for ousted President Manuel Zelaya to serve out his term was “unacceptable”.

AL GORE last night warned the world must act quickly to slow the melting of the polar ice packs and glaciers before it reaches a critical rate for global warming.

A French and a German scientist shared the 2007 Nobel Prize in physics today for their discovery of a process used by billions of people on their computers and digital music players.

The former Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, will be among the performers at this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo.

American Roger Kornberg won the 2006 Nobel Prize in chemistry today, honoured in Sweden for his work on how information stored within a gene is copied and transferred to the parts of cells that produce proteins.

The UN secretary-general has urged Burma’s military government and its main pro-democracy party to reach an agreement under which the opposition party – led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi – will attend a constitution-drafting convention.

Burma’s imprisoned pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, underwent major surgery today, her physician said.