Any action taken by either a Member of Parliament or a stranger which obstructs or impedes either Parliament in the performance of its functions, or its Members or staff in the performance of their duties, is a contempt of Parliament.

Former US President Bill Clinton says lack of health services, not money, is the main challenge to fighting Aids in Africa.

An ex-US narcotics official accuses President Hamid Karzai of obstructing efforts to tackle the Afghan drugs trade.

McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen are penalised five grid places for impeding rivals during qualifying in Malaysia.

Sir Menzies Campbell resigns, saying questions about his leadership were impeding progress by the Lib Dems.

Fernando Alonso is stripped of pole for the Hungarian Grand Prix after impeding Lewis Hamilton in qualifying.

The Palestinian president urges Gaza militants to end "absurd" rocket attacks that are impeding peace efforts.

Speculation over the murder of two men in Belfast could impede the inquiries, police say.

The Red Cross says Burma has ordered it to close five local offices, severely impeding its humanitarian work.

Formula One bosses change the rules to avoid a repeat of the qualifying controversy surrounding Fernando Alonso at Monza.

David Coulthard accuses Juan Pablo Montoya of impeding him during qualifying for the British Grand Prix.

Clashes impede the funeral of 24 Haitian illegal migrants found dead in the Dominican Republic.

Bad weather and blocked roads impede efforts to bring relief to survivors of the earthquake in Pakistan.

The Financial Services Authority is under fresh scrutiny after the Prime Minister said some of its actions were being seen to be impeding well-run businesses.

Fighting in eastern DR Congo may impede elections planned for June, a United Nations report warns.

The editor of a UN survey of freedom and governance in Arab societies says the US has impeded its publication.

Councillors in Burnley meet to try to resolve a struggle which has impeded the running of the authority.

No play whatsoever is possible at Derby on Friday.

The OSCE condemns Russia's handling of the media during the bloody Beslan school siege.

South Korea's debt mountain is now impeding the country's economic recovery, official data shows.