News
June retail sales slump at sharp rate
Retail sales slumped in June at the sharpest rate on record, official figures showed on Thursday, more than wiping out May's record rise and dragging three-month growth down to its weakest since late last year.
Afghan army says kills 'dozens' of insurgents
Afghan soldiers killed "dozens" of militants, including foreigners, in a clash on a highway in southern Zabul province on Thursday, the defence ministry said.
Court told Jill Dando accused seen before killing
Celebrity-obsessed Barry George "and no other" person killed popular BBC presenter Jill Dando, a jury was told on Thursday.
Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech
U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama is expected to call on Europe to do more in hotspots like Afghanistan when he speaks in Berlin on Thursday in his only formal address of a week-long foreign tour.
Sudan invites foreign experts to check judiciary
Sudan has invited international experts to inspect its legal system to see whether it is capable of holding trials for war crimes committed in Darfur, the justice minister said on Thursday.
British Energy says in advanced talks
Nuclear power operator British Energy said on Thursday it is in advanced discussions with one party, which industry sources have said is France's Electricite De France.
Russia opens trial of skinhead gang for 20 murders
A Russian court held preliminary hearings on Thursday in the trial of a skinhead gang whose members are charged with murdering 20 people in racist attacks.
Report on 2012 highlights security issues
London Olympic organisers came in for criticism on Thursday when a government committee highlighted uncertainty over legacy and the lack of a fully-costed security plan for the 2012 Games.
Call to save Nazi code-breaking centre
Almost 100 top computer scientists called on Thursday for action to be taken to save Bletchley Park, the code-breaking centre that played a crucial role decrypting German messages during World War Two.
David Cameron seeks return of stolen bicycle
Conservative leader David Cameron appealed on Thursday for the return of his bicycle after a thief stole it from outside a supermarket in west London.
Scots boy must give up Narnia website
A Scottish schoolboy must surrender a Web address tied to the Narnia fantasy world, which his father says he gave him as a present, after a ruling by a United Nations arbitrator, an official report said on Thursday.
Wear the willow or catch a crab at Cambridge Bumps
Have you been crashing delicate rowing boats at top speed, catching crabs and showing off your race starts for spectators at the Plough?
Zimbabwe's parties start full crisis talks
Senior negotiators from Zimbabwe's main opposition MDC and the ruling ZANU-PF party began talks on Thursday and a report indicated they were close to reaching a deal on forming a unity government.
'Big divergences' push WTO talks towards crisis
Talks to salvage a global trade deal faced a crunch point on Thursday after three days of scant progress, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would not sign a deal in its current form.
Parasitic worms may help fuel AIDS epidemic: study
People infected with parasitic worms may be much more susceptible to the AIDS virus, according to a study published on Tuesday that may help explain why HIV has hit sub-Saharan Africa particularly hard.
Safety of cloned animal products uncertain: EU agency
The European Union's top food safety agency said on Thursday cloned animal products may not be safe and further study was needed.