Hollywood stars squelched up a soggy red carpet Sunday at the British Academy Film Awards, which pitted presidential biopic "Lincoln" against epic musical "Les Miserables" and Iran hostage crisis drama "Argo."

To scientists' excitement, the Curiosity rover has completed its first drilling on Mars and is preparing to analyze a pinch of powdery rock.

A powerful partner of Israel's prime minister has called peace with the Palestinians "impossible," saying the conflict between them and Israel can only be "managed."

The Israeli military says it has driven out some 100 Palestinian activists who had pitched an illegal tent camp near the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank.

Mali's army is fighting jihadists in their desert hideouts just outside northern Mali's largest town.

Chinese New Year is traditionally a time for colorful and noisy displays of fireworks and generous-portioned banquets. This year, the festivities are likely to be a little more austere.

The Syrian capital of Damascus is again the scene of battles between rebels and troops loyal to President Bashar Assad.

Police say a woman accused of witchcraft has been burned alive in front of hundreds of witnesses in a Papua New Guinea town.

U.K. authorities say beef lasagna products recalled from British supermarkets by frozen-food company Findus have tested positive for more than 60 percent horsemeat.

CAIRO (AP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his country cannot hold meaningful talks with the U.S. on Tehran's disputed nuclear program if Washington is threatening his country.

MOSCOW (AP) - Lawyers for three members of the feminist punk group Pussy Riot have contested their convictions in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli woman has turned to Facebook to beat a parking ticket - and expose a Tel Aviv road crew.

LONDON (AP) - They're minuscule, there're millions of them, and one museum manager says they're massively under-represented.

The indigenous Sami people of Europe's Arctic region are celebrating their national day amid worries that their ancient traditions based on reindeer herding will disappear.

Spanish police have seized 4.1 metric tons (4.5 tons) of cocaine with an estimated street value of €252 million ($340 million) - the biggest confiscation of the drug arriving to the nation since 2001.

A Pakistani official says flash floods following torrential rains in the country's northwest this week have killed 29 people.

A park official says two people have been hospitalized after being attacked by a giant Komodo dragon.

Wall Street Journal proprietor Rupert Murdoch says that Chinese hackers are still attacking his newspaper, suggesting the spying campaign against U.S. journalists unveiled last week is still live.

France's defense minister says French forces clashed with extremists firing rocket launchers near the northern Malian city of Gao.

The Boy Scouts of America's policy excluding gay members and leaders could be up for a vote as soon as Wednesday, when the organization's national executive board meets behind closed doors under intense pressure from several sides.

The National Weather Service says there is no threat of a tsunami in Hawaii, Alaska or the U.S. West Coast after a powerful earthquake struck in the South Pacific.

A Picasso painting of his muse has fetched 28.6 million pounds ($44.9 million) at a London auction.

The French "Spider-Man" continues to dazzle Havana with his unassisted, death-defying climbs.

The Irish meat company at the center of Europe's "horseburger" scandal has blamed the contamination of its hamburger patties on the purchase last year of 170 tons of meat imported from Poland.

British lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill to legalize same-sex marriages.