European car makers are defaulting on a vital target to tackle climate change, according to an environmental group. Their efforts to boost fuel efficiency are falling "far short" of a commitment made to the European Union in 1998, Transport & Environment says. The more fuel a car uses, the more carbon dioxide - a key greenhouse gas - is emitted into the atmosphere. But motor manufacturers say they are already working harder than many other industries to cut emissions. Full Article

A stray dog has died of bird flu in the Caspian nation of Azerbaijan, health officials have said - thought to be the first time the virus has killed a dog. Azerbaijan reported its first three human deaths from bird flu on Monday. The World Health Organization has yet to confirm bird flu caused the human deaths, but said the US Navy lab that carried out the tests was reliable. Full Article

Switzerland has confirmed its first avian flu case, but further tests are needed to determine if it is the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office said on Sunday. "We have a first case of bird flu. It's H5. The virus type has to be confirmed in the (European Union) reference lab," spokeswoman Cathy Maret said, declining to say what type of bird has been infected or where the case was found. Local news agency ATS, quoting a Swiss government official, said positive results were found in the Geneva area and in Stein-am-Rhein in the northeast of the country. Full Article

A major snow storm has pounded the Northeast of the US, forcing the closure of airports in Washington and New York and disrupting travel by road. More than 2,000 flights were cancelled in the region on Sunday and thousands of people in the states of Maryland and New Jersey were left without power. Much of the northeastern US, from Washington to Boston, now lies under 60cms (24 inches) of snow. New York city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg urged people to stay at home. Full Article

Scientists have long known that a major ingredient in comets is water ice, but they were unsure whether the ice was contained mainly inside or if it could be found on the surface as well.A new analysis of data from NASA's Deep Impact mission last year provides the first evidence that water ice can indeed exist on a comet's exterior.In a new study released Thursday in an online edition of the journal Science, researchers report that the surface of Tempel 1, the comet targeted by Deep Impact, has three small pockets of water ice. Full Article

In new footage aired Monday on an Arabic-language news network, an American journalist kidnapped in Iraq urged Americans to plead for the release of female Iraqi prisoners in order to secure her release, the network said. Appearing distraught, Jill Carroll wore a head scarf and spoke English in the video, which was dated January 28, the Qatar-based satellite network Al-Jazeera reported. Full Article

Brazilian TV has broadcast footage of a baby girl being rescued from a black plastic bag floating in a lake. Amateur footage captured the moment when the bag was fished out and opened by a park worker in Belo Horizonte. Jose da Cruz, who was filmed performing the rescue, said he was first alerted to the bag by sounds of a "cat crying". Full Article