McCann friend tells of abduction

Scores dead in Bangladesh cyclone

A cyclone leaves more than 240 people dead in Bangladesh after hitting coastal villages, officials say.

Watchdog cancels Russia poll plan

The international election watchdog, the OSCE, says it will not cover Russian polls because of visa problems.

Legal action to ban Kurdish party

Turkish prosecutors move to ban a pro-Kurdish political party allegedly linked to PKK rebels, say reports.

Bhutto defiant after house arrest

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto renews her calls for President Musharraf to end emergency rule.

McCann friend tells of abduction

A friend of Kate and Gerry McCann tells the BBC she saw a man carrying a child through their holiday resort.

Two Koreas agree rail timetable

Leaders from North and South Korea agree to restart freight rail links next month, the first in five decades.

Democrats spar in TV debate

A televised debate in the US city of Las Vegas sees Democratic presidential hopefuls trade verbal blows.

Journalists 'murdered' in E Timor

A coroner in Sydney rules that five Australian-based journalists were deliberately killed in East Timor in 1975.

Doomsday vault in deep freeze

Engineers have begun cooling the "doomsday vault", which aims to protect the world's crop varieties from disaster.

Warning over Olympic doping

One of the world's leading drugs experts tells BBC Sport athletes will be able to cheat without detection at next year's Beijing Olympics.

Cricket: Australia dominate Test

Centuries from Phil Jaques and Michael Hussey take Australia to 329-3 in the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Prison term for ex-Rwandan mayor

A former Rwandan mayor is sentenced to 11 years in prison for crimes committed during the genocide.

Uganda sets up red-light district

Special zones for sex workers are being set up in Uganda's capital ahead of the Commonwealth summit.

China spying 'biggest US threat'

Chinese espionage poses "the single greatest risk" to the security of US technology, a panel warns Congress.

Baseball star Barry Bonds charged

A US federal grand jury charges baseball home run king Barry Bonds with perjury over a steroids inquiry.

Japanese PM set for Bush summit

North Korea and a suspended naval mission are on the agenda as Japan's new leader arrives in the US for talks.

Asian leaders 'must act on Burma'

Stronger action from regional leaders is needed to tackle rights abuses in Burma, a campaign group says.

France endures third strike day

Most of France's rail network remains disrupted for a third day as protests against pension reforms continue.

EU 'should grow beyond Europe'

The UK foreign secretary says the EU should work towards including countries from the Middle East and North Africa.

US urges more sanctions on Iran

The US vows to press for further UN sanctions against Iran, following a new report on Tehran's nuclear activities.

UN tries to break Lebanon impasse

UN chief Ban Ki-moon is in Beirut to help broker an end to Lebanon's long impasse over electing a new president.

US to freeze Tamil charity assets

The US government is to freeze the assets of a Tamil charity with links to Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka.

India police arrest 'militants'

Police in India's Uttar Pradesh state say they have arrested three men belonging to a banned militant group.

Second body found at search house

Police searching a house in Kent where the remains of a 15-year-old girl were found discover another body.

Credit losses 'may reach $400bn'

Finance houses' losses from the credit market slump may be around $400bn (£190bn), Goldman Sachs says.

Fat pills give modest weight loss

Patients taking anti-obesity drugs lose only "modest" amounts of weight, research reveals.

Scientists harvest fish oil crop

Plants genetically engineered to make fish oils could offer a new approach to improving diet, say experts.

Colossus loses code-cracking race

An amateur has won a code-cracking challenge that marks the end of a project to rebuild Colossus.

LA debut for reunited Spice Girls

The Spice Girls perform live for the first time since their reunion at the Victoria's Secret fashion show.

Iraqi bloggers

For an inside view of life in Iraq, we cherry-pick recent postings from Iraqi bloggers - those who left - and some who were trying to leave.