The newly appointed head of UN humanitarian relief Lady Valerie Amos has spent her first day in office touring Pakistan.

Mexico has rejected remarks from the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, that drug-related violence in Mexico increasingly has the hallmarks of an insurgency.

The number of shops closing in Britain is slowing but a north-south divide has emerged, a survey by retail analysts the Local Data Company suggests.

A US pastor says he is not "backing down" from plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11, despite international condemnation.

Contractors who worked for BP on the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon oil rig criticise the company's report into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Patients could be prescribed music tailored to their needs as a result of new university research.

Boundary changes for the next Scottish Parliament elections suggest a possible boost to the Conservatives, according to experts.

The plight of Commonwealth Games workers in Delhi

Police use the anniversary of the killing of Manchester schoolboy Jessie James to once again appeal for help to catch his killer.

Its name lives on in the form of a prestigious music prize but whatever happened to Mercury Communications?

The number of cash machines in the UK has fallen and withdrawals have dropped as shoppers turn to cards, figures show.

A medical charity says it has documented for the first time the effects of immigration detention on children facing removal from the UK.

Google launches a system for web links to appear and refresh as soon as characters are typed

Former newspaper editor and Britain's Got Talent judge Piers will replace US TV presenter Larry King on the US network CNN, it is announced.

England coach Fabio Capello confirms he will stand down from the role after Euro 2012.

David Cameron's father Ian dies in hospital in France shortly after the Prime Minister joined other members of his family at his bedside.

A new study suggests high doses of B vitamins may halve the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing some of the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Sinn Fein says cuts "proposed or imposed by the British goverment must be challenged and resisted", following Peter Robinson's call for savings.

Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli is to undergo knee surgery that could keep him out of action for six weeks.

A lion lunged at a trainer as stunned onlookers watched in horror, at Las Vegas's MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.