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Taliban offers to free US soldier new
The Afghan Taliban has said it is ready to hand over a US soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of its senior operatives being held at Guantanamo Bay.
Rescue bid after India landslides new
Rescuers in India are using helicopters and climbing through mountain paths to reach nearly 4,000 people trapped by landslides in a narrow valley near a Hindu shrine in the northern Himalayas.
Singapore shrouded in fire smog new
Officials in Singapore are urging people to remain indoors amid unprecedented levels of air pollution after a smoky haze caused by forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia worsened dramatically.
Tributes to 'genius' Gandolfini
Tributes have poured in for James Gandolfini, the American actor best known for his role as the mob boss in The Sopranos, who died on Wednesday at the age of 51.
Dotcom 'in tears' as files deleted
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom said he was "in tears" after a European company deleted all the data it was hosting from his file-sharing site.
Bus plunges into river, killing 30
A bus has veered off a highway and fallen into a river in central Peru, leaving at least 30 people dead and nine missing.
Sopranos star James Gandolfini dies
James Gandolfini, the actor famous for his lead role in mob drama The Sopranos, has died in Italy, according to his managers.
FBI uses drones for surveillance
The FBI uses drones for surveillance of stationary subjects, and the privacy implications of such operations are "worthy of debate", the bureau's director has said.
Sao Paulo to reverse fares hike
City leaders in Sao Paulo say they are reversing a hike in bus and subway fares which has sparked widespread protests across Brazil.
New virus 'deadlier than Sars'
A mysterious new respiratory virus that originated in the Middle East spreads easily between people and appears more deadly than Sars, doctors have reported after investigating the biggest outbreak in Saudi Arabia.
Children 'bearing brunt' of war
Harrowing pictures of child refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria have been released by the charity Save the Children.
13 killed in assault on UN compound
Seven al Qaida-linked militants on a suicide mission attacked have a UN compound in Somalia with a truck bomb and then poured inside, killing at least 13 people before dying in the assault.
Monet Venice piece sells for £19m
One of Claude Monet's most notable paintings has been sold at auction for more than £19 million.
'Remains' found at ex-mobster home
An FBI excavation has turned up possible human remains at a New York home once occupied by a famed gangster who inspired Robert De Niro's character in the movie Goodfellas, authorities said.
John Paul II closer to sainthood
Pope John Paul II has moved a step closer to sainthood.
Dolce&Gabbana guilty of tax evasion
Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been found guilty of massive tax evasion in Italy.
Ban warns of new threats to UN
UN peacekeeping efforts face growing dangers from non-traditional threats such as suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices, secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has warned.
Campaigners condemn whale killing
Environmental campaigners have hit out at the killing of an endangered fin whale by an Icelandic whaler for the first time in several years.
Floods close Lourdes pilgrims' site
Floods in south-west France have forced the closure of the Catholic pilgrimage site in Lourdes and the evacuation of visitors from nearby hotels.
45.2m forced to flee homes - UN
The United Nations refugee agency has revealed that more than 45.2 million people were forced to flee their homes last year, an 18-year high mainly due to wars in Syria, Afghanistan and other countries.
In Pictures: The G8 summit
Gerry forces Sammy into Mexican wave
Film review: World War Z
Pitt's zombie flick is surprisingly infectious
One Summer's Day 2013
We want you to get snapping!
Obama death bid fears - aircraft carriers on standby
In Pictures: Ulster Nightlife
Pubs, clubs and parties
In Pictures: The 'Big IF' concert in Botanic Gardens
Thousands turn out in the rain
Latest News
Taliban offers to free US soldier new
The Afghan Taliban has said it is ready to hand over a US soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of its senior operatives being held at Guantanamo Bay.
Bill errors costing families £6.7bn new
Families are being left hundreds of pounds out of pocket due to errors by firms calculating their household bills, new research has found.
Barack Obama called George Osborne 'Jeffrey' during G8 speech new
US President Barack Obama repeatedly called George Osborne "Jeffrey" at a summit of world leaders, apparently confusing the Chancellor with a soul singer.
Latest Sport
Jamie Carragher can see why Luis Suarez wants move from Liverpool to Real Madrid new
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has defended the behaviour of Luis Suarez by saying that any player would be interested in joining Real Madrid.
Joe Kinnear sparks Newcastle walkout with star talent-spotter on brink new
Graham Carr's future at Newcastle United is in doubt after another day of drama at the trouble-torn club.
Hammer Carroll targets trophies new
Andy Carroll sees no reason why he cannot help fire West Ham to some long-overdue silverware after the England striker signed in a club record deal for what could be eight seasons.
Latest Showbiz
Madonna unveils her tour movie new
Madonna has admitted there were days when she was so exhausted she didn't want to perform during her recent MDNA world tour.
Woodley sad about Spider-Man cut new
Shailene Woodley has revealed her dismay at not appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Pitt: Re-shoot decision was painful new
Brad Pitt has admitted it felt "abysmal" when he realised that the end of his new film World War Z needed to be re-shot.