Kathryn Bigelow has become the first female to win the best director award at the Oscars and her film The Hurt Locker has taken six prizes. Geoffrey Fletcher is the first African American to win, for Precious. Jason Solomons leads our film team through the show.
The government has so far refused to comment on reports that Jon Venables, one of the killers of the toddler James Bulger, was returned to prison for alleged child pornography offences. Reporter Peter Walker explains why.
An estimated 70% of voters turned out in Iraq's parliamentary election yesterday despite bombs and rockets that killed 25 in Baghdad. Martin Chulov reports from the Iraqi capital.
The Roman Catholic church has joined the pre-election fray, publishing a document which it says identifies the values of British society. The Archbishop of Cardiff, Peter Smith, tells the Guardian's religious affairs correspondent Riazat Butt what the church is saying to Catholics during the election campaign.
The government says it's still committed to getting Iceland to repay £2.3bn despite a referendum in Iceland showing overwhelming opposition to repayment. Financial reporter Simon Bowers has just returned from Reykjavik.
The government is attempting today to have a case about torture held entirely behind closed doors, which some lawyers say would override ancient principles of English law. Afua Hirsch, our legal affairs correspondent, examines the arguments.
