Syria troops step up Homs bombing

Heavy artillery fire rocks the restive Syrian city of Homs, in what anti-government activists are calling one of the fiercest assaults yet.

Abbas to head interim government

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas says he will head a unity government between Hamas and Fatah ahead of elections in the West Bank and Gaza.

Contador given two-year drug ban

Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador is handed a two-year ban for a doping offence, and loses his 2010 Tour de France title.

Romanian PM resigns over protests

Romania's Prime Minister Emil Boc steps down to "defuse political and social tension" after a series of austerity protests.

Deadly quake hits the Philippines

At least 15 people die and 29 are missing after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake strikes islands in the central Philippines.

Delay in Greece bailout meeting

Government talks in Greece to try to agree new austerity measures needed to secure bailout funds and avoid defaulting on its debts are delayed.

China in EU carbon scheme 'ban'

China tells its airlines not to pay charges to the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme, aimed at cutting carbon emissions.

HTC profits up but outlook poor

Taiwan smartphone maker HTC reports a 57% jump in annual profits, but it predicts a downbeat start to trading this year.

Euro crisis 'could damage China'

A eurozone recession could almost halve Chinese growth this year, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund.

India telecom ruling 'harms' firm

Telecoms firm Uninor says it has been "unfairly harmed" by an Indian court ruling cancelling licences issued in 2008.

Ofcom wants Openreach price cut

Telecoms regulator Ofcom tells BT Group to cut the wholesale prices it charges for use of its lines

Acta protests spread over Europe

Dozens of protests are planned across Europe in opposition to the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

Transplant jaw made by 3D printer

An 83-year-old woman is fitted with a jaw made by a 3D printer in what doctors say is the first operation of its kind.

Web firms remove India material

Facebook and Google tell a court in India they have complied with an order to remove "objectionable" material, amid ongoing legal moves on censorship.

FBI probes Anonymous phone hack

The FBI investigates how activists linked to Anonymous obtained a recording of a phone call between US and UK police on their operations against hacking.

"Intentional" explosion kills husband, two sons of missing woman

(Reuters) - An "intentional" house explosion on Sunday near Tacoma, Washington killed the husband and two sons of a Utah woman missing since December 2009, fire department officials said.

Eyeing greener acres, new farmers reap growing U.S. aid

HALLSVILLE, Missouri (Reuters) - Dan Pugh wishes he had a bigger tractor and his wife Laura worries about their chickens in the winter weather. But as new farmers putting down roots in rural Missouri, the Pughs are counting on more rewards than regrets in trading their city lives for the country.

Goldman's Blankfein campaigns for gay marriage

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein, one of Wall Street's most powerful figures, has become the first major business leader to join a national media campaign in support of same-sex marriage.

VIDEO: Breivik appears in Oslo court

Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway, has appeared in court in Oslo.

AUDIO: Syria hold

Paul Wood reports from Beirut on pressure on Syrian dissidents in the Lebanon

VIDEO: Europe continues to freeze

The death toll has risen across Europe as countries continue to struggle with the freezing conditions.

VIDEO: Fidel Castro launches memoirs

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro has made a rare public appearance to launch his memoirs.

VIDEO: Evacuation from Queensland floods

Floods continue to threaten Queensland in eastern Australia, with the town of St George expected to be worst hit.

VIDEO: Eritrean refugees kidnapped in Sudan

An estimated 2,000 Eritreans arrive every month in Sudan, hoping to claim asylum.

VIDEO: Film makers killed in helicopter crash

Two renowned film makers who worked with James Cameron have died in a helicopter crash just outside Sydney.

VIDEO: Eye-tracking helps advertisers

Developments in eye-tracking technology are helping advertisers predict what products will appeal to customers.

VIDEO: Iran 'intimidating BBC Persian'

The BBC's director general Mark Thompson has accused the Iranian authorities of intimidating those working for its Persian service.

VIDEO: Thousands abandon homes in Australia

In Australia thousands of people living in the state of Queensland have been ordered to abandon their homes because of rising floodwaters.

VIDEO: Tourists staying away from Egypt

Twelve months on from the revolution in Egypt, the country's tourism industry is continuing to struggle.

VIDEO: BBC team smuggled into Homs

Syrian government forces have bombarded the city of Homs with artillery shells and mortars, killing at least 55 people, according to opposition groups.

VIDEO: Angry reaction to UN Syria veto

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described as a "travesty" Russia and China's veto of a UN resolution condemning Syria's crackdown against anti-government protesters.

VIDEO: Greece talks to resume

Party leaders in Greece are to resume talks on backing a 130bn euro bailout plan

VIDEO: Finland's internet-controlled cafe

Finnish cafe offers internet controlled design experience as part of a festival.

VIDEO: Big freeze continues across Europe

Snow and freezing temperatures across Europe have claimed more than 200 lives in the past week.

VIDEO: Rival rallies on streets of Moscow

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Russia's capital Moscow in protest at Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's grip on power.

VIDEO: European freeze hits transport hubs

Freezing weather has hit transport hubs across Europe, closing airports, blocking roads and halting trains.

VIDEO: Rolls-Royce to open Singapore plant

Rolls-Royce will open a new half a billion dollar plant in Singapore later this month.

VIDEO: Birds' paradise lost in Kashmir?

Nearly a million migratory birds visit Kashmir's wetlands every year, but this time the severe winter has made it nearly impossible for them to find food.

VIDEO: Australian summer floods swamp homes

Flooding in the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales has forced thousands of families from their homes.

VIDEO: Afghan civilian deaths rise again

The number of civilians killed and injured in the Afghan conflict has risen for the fifth year in a row, a UN report reveals.

VIDEO: Son on Libyan diplomat's 'torture'

The Libyan authorities are being urged to investigate the death of a former ambassador who, it is believed, was tortured in custody.

VIDEO: Cardboard Ayatollah lampooned

A cardboard cut-out version of the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution is mocked online after touring Tehran.

VIDEO: Khmer Rouge chief gets life sentence

Appeal judges at a UN-backed tribunal in Cambodia have rejected a claim by the man who ran a notorious Khmer Rouge detention centre, that he was not responsible for the crimes.

VIDEO: Is this the 'oldest ' woman in Cuba?

The oldest woman in Cuba and possibly the world celebrates her 127th birthday this week.

VIDEO: Heavy rains cause havoc in Australia

Severe flooding is threatening parts of New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia, with towns cut off and thousands of residents evacuated.

VIDEO: Cairo clashes over football anger

Protesters have gathered on the streets of Egypt's capital Cairo amid calls for more rallies over the deaths of 74 fans at a football match on Wednesday.

VIDEO: Unrest reignited in Egyptian cities

Two protesters have been shot dead in clashes with Egyptian police in Suez. They are the first to die in demonstrations following a football match riot that left 74 dead.

VIDEO: More demonstrations expected in Moscow

More demonstrations are expected in Moscow on Saturday as part of ongoing protest against fraud in December's parliamentary elections in Russia.

VIDEO: Russian voters demand fair elections

This weekend, voters are expected to take to the streets in Russia, to demand free and fair elections.

VIDEO: Big freeze kills 100 in Ukraine

More than 100 people have died as a result of freezing weather in Ukraine since last Friday, the government has announced in Kiev.

VIDEO: Sending news from Afghanistan

BBC Scotland's Cameron Buttle shows how a news team broadcasts from a British army base in Afghanistan.

VIDEO: Eye-tracking helps advertisers

Developments in eye-tracking technology are helping advertisers predict what products will appeal to customers.

VIDEO: Cher Lloyd: 'I'm scared of cyberbullies'

Pop singer Cher Lloyd tells Panorama's Declan Lawn about being cyberbullied and her fears for her family's safety.

VIDEO: 'Flying people' and other tech news

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a remote-controlled man-shaped plane. This and more in this week's tech news.

VIDEO: The untraceable 'dark web'

Out of reach of regular internet searches is the secretive online world known as the 'dark web' where you can shop for illegal goods, and where customers go by code names.