BBC World Service
The latest stories from the World section of the BBC News web site.
Updated: 16 min 30 sec ago
Persian rug sells for $33.8m in NY
A 17th Century Persian rug sells at auction in New York for $33.8m (£21.8m), triple the previous auction record for a carpet.
Persian rug sells for $33.8m in NY
A 17th Century Persian rug sells at auction in New York for $33.8m (£21.8m), triple the previous auction record for a carpet.
Men jailed over Debenhams boy rape
An intelligence officer during Saddam's Iraqi regime is one of two men jailed for 15 years for raping a boy in a Manchester department store's toilets.
Moscow activists back in detention
Twelve Russians appearing in court over clashes at an anti-Vladimir Putin rally have their detention extended, in a case the president's critics call a political show trial.
ECB cuts eurozone forecast
The European Central Bank (ECB) has revised down its eurozone growth forecast as it voted to hold rates at historic lows.
Labour 'would cap welfare spending'
Ed Miliband promises to limit spending on benefits and review contribution-based payments as he unveils his party's new approach to welfare.
Sharapova and Williams set up final
Reigning champion Maria Sharapova will face American top seed Serena Williams in Saturday's French Open final.
Mau Mau abuse victims to get payouts
Kenyans tortured by British colonial forces during the 1950s Mau Mau uprising will receive payouts totalling £20m, as the UK expresses regret for the abuses.
IPL team owner told to stay in India
Police investigating allegations of spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League cricket tournament seize the passport of Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra.
South Africa clown wins libel suit
A South African clown wins a defamation suit against a men's magazine after it printed his picture with a report likening jesters to cross-dressing drug addicts.
Guantanamo's asymmetric war
Hunger strike protests highlight Guantanamo inmates' plight
VIDEO: Floods couple 'lucky to be alive'
Two ski instructors from West Sussex said they were lucky to be alive after their home in Austria was destroyed by flooding.
Mercedes respond to tyre test claims
Mercedes say they "welcome" the chance to justify taking part in what rivals say was an illegal tyre test.
US girl put on adult lung donor list
A US federal judge allows a severely-ill 10-year-old girl to take a prime spot on the list to receive an adult lung transplant, despite her young age.
EC denies Greece bailout mistakes
The European Commission has disputed an admission by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that mistakes were made in the handling of Greece's bailout.
Afghan fury over massacre 'leniency'
Afghans near Kandahar react with anger to the news that a US soldier who massacred 16 people last year has escaped the death penalty.
The rise of the protein drinks for ordinary people
Do ordinary people really need protein shakes?
Absent players hurt England - Pearce
Stuart Pearce says England do not give themselves a chance of winning tournaments when key players cannot be selected.
Satirical novelist Tom Sharpe dies
The British author Tom Sharpe, who wrote the 1974 novel Porterhouse Blue, has died aged 85.
Russia cleared over Maskhadov death
European judges clear Russia of blame for the death of former Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, but say Moscow should have handed over his body.
