Malaysia has banned a nearly 30-year-old sex education book written by a British author following complaints by Muslim activists that it is obscene.

The Home Ministry said Wednesday that Peter Mayle's "Where Did I Come From?" contains "elements that undermine societal morals and public interests."

The prime minister's top spokesman has resigned six months into the job, Israeli media reported Wednesday, injecting new turmoil into Benjamin Netanyahu's troubled bureau shortly before an important White House visit.

Israeli newspapers, TV and radio stations reported that Yoaz Hendel quit after Netanyahu criticized the way he handled suspicions against the prime minister's chief of staff Natan Eshel, who was forced out this week over a sexual harassment scandal.

Sony is intensifying its push in handheld gaming with a gadget aimed at hardcore players looking for something with a bit more punch than "Angry Birds," ''Words With Friends" and other smartphone pastimes.

The PlayStation Vita, already available in Japan, debuts in the U.S. and Europe on Wednesday. A basic, Wi-Fi version will retail at $250, while one that can access 3G cellular networks will go for $300 plus monthly service fees from AT&T.

Russia's top search engine Yandex has teamed up with Twitter to allow the Russian firm to show the full feed of all public Twitter posts.

New York-listed Yandex said in a statement Tuesday that the deal will give it full access to all tweets except for private ones.

English speakers got their moment in the Carnival sun on Monday as a wild, Beatles-themed street party let them shake it up, baby, with a samba swing to "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."

"Sargento Pimenta," Portuguese for "Sergeant Pepper," is one of more than 400 raucous street parties that spring up throughout Rio de Janeiro during Carnival season. Hundreds of thousands of people turn out for the largest of the "blocos," packed, sweaty open-air dance parties where the crowd sings along to a repetitive medley of Carnival songs — usually in Portuguese, of course.

Sarah Burton, creative director of the Alexander McQueen fashion house, tried Monday to create an enchanted forest in the center of London for the debut offering of the McQ line, aimed at younger, less affluent buyers.

The catwalk was covered with fallen leaves, and a realistic forest was created at one end of the hall at the Old Sorting Office in central London.

Chris Brown and Rihanna are back together, musically speaking.

Two songs featuring the singers hit the Internet on Monday. Brown sings on the remix of Rihanna's sexually charged song "Birthday Cake," and she's on the remix of his upbeat tune "Turn Up the Music."

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has moved into the top 20 on the NBA career scoring list.

Nowitzki moved into 20th on the list Monday with seven points in the first quarter in a game against Boston.

Warsaw's mayor says all security concerns have been addressed and the stadium that will host the opening match of this year's European Championship is ready to stage its first game.

Poland will play Portugal in a friendly at the National Stadium in Warsaw on February 29.

One man prays to heal the legs he broke in a car accident. An older woman pleads for grandchildren. Another visitor has come to see "God's secretary."

These believers are part of a growing phenomenon in Israel, where hundreds of thousands of people from starkly different backgrounds flock to the tombs of ancient Biblical figures or modern-day rabbis, seeking blessings and claiming they've witnessed miracles.