Karzai to boycott Taliban talks
The Afghan government will not take part in peace talks with the Taliban unless the process is "Afghan-led", President Hamid Karzai announces.

Obama calls for nuclear arsenal cuts
Speaking at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, President Barack Obama calls for cuts to be made in US and Russian nuclear arsenals.

Deadly attack on Somalia UN office
At least 12 people, including four foreigners, are killed in an assault by militant Islamists on a UN office in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

US force-feeding 'hurts detainees'
A hunger-striking Guantanamo Bay detainee tells of the 'ordeal' of force-feeding, as doctors call for inmates to get independent medical care.

Royal baby's gender to be 'surprise'
Duchess of Cambridge expected to give birth at London's St Mary's Hospital where Princess Diana had her sons.

Mexico arrests top 10 US fugitive
A US fugitive on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list for the alleged sexual exploitation of children is arrested at a resort in Mexico.

Brazil sends force to quell unrest
Brazil is to send a national security force to five major cities to help restore order after massive protests, the justice ministry says.

N Korea condemns Hitler report
North Korea denounces a report that leader Kim Jong-un gave out copies of Adolf Hitler's memoir Mein Kampf to officials on his birthday.

Nigeria motorbike raiders 'kill 48'
Gunmen on motorbikes kill 48 people in an attack on a remote village in northern Nigeria's Zamfara state, an official says.

Cyprus leader attacks bailout terms
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades urges eurozone leaders to help his country's biggest bank and sharply criticises the bailout agreed in March.

Dolce and Gabbana sentenced to jail
Italian fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are sentenced to jail in Italy for tax evasion but have appealed the verdict.

China's Wanda to buy UK yacht maker
Dalian Wanda Group, a Chinese property developer, says it will spend £1bn ($1.6bn) to buy a British yacht maker and property in London.

First cycling Tour de Congo begins
The first cycling tour of the Democratic Republic of Congo starts, but cyclists will not be riding to the volatile east of the vast country.

PlayStation update freezing consoles
A system software update has rendered some PlayStation 3 consoles unusable, manufacturer Sony confirms.

VIDEO: Hospital where royal baby will be born revealed
More details have been released about plans for the birth of the royal baby.

VIDEO: China's Wanda to buy UK yacht maker
Chinese property developer Dalian Wanda Group has said it will spend more than £1bn ($1.6bn) to buy a British yacht maker and develop a hotel in London.

VIDEO: 'Made in Peru' World Cup shirts
Clothing manufacturers in Peru expect to make bumper profits next year by making football shirts for global fans descending on Brazil for the World Cup.

VIDEO: One-minute World News
Watch the latest news summary from BBC World News. International news updated 24 hours a day.

VIDEO: 'You don't know how much I miss my son'
In Mexico around 25,000 people have disappeared since the drug war began six years ago.

VIDEO: Michelle Obama and daughters on tour
US First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Malia and Sasha have lunch with Irish rock star Bono and visit Glendalough.

VIDEO: Camera pioneers' work goes on display
Portraits by 19th century photographers Henry and Charles Meade are subjects of a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.

VIDEO: Lourdes evacuated after flash floods
The Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes has been evacuated after flash floods struck south-western France.

IMF: Spain making strong progress
The IMF says Spain has made strong progress on its economy, but the outlook remains "difficult" and more action is needed to boost job creation.

VIDEO: BBC World News business headlines
The latest international business headlines from BBC World News.

Smart ring and socks unveiled
A ring that unlocks smartphones and socks which provide feedback about footsteps are the latest devices in the growing wearable tech sector.

Huawei unveils 'slimmest' smartphone
Huawei unveils the world's slimmest smartphone saying the handset will work "miracles" for its brand.

US country singer Slim Whitman dies
Slim Whitman, the American country singer known for his yodelling abilities has died at the age of 89.

Radcliffe's Cripple enchants critics
Daniel Radcliffe impresses reviewers with his "understated" performance as a disabled teenage orphan in Martin McDonagh's play The Cripple of Inishmaan.

Naked mole-rat gives cancer clues
A rodent that never gets cancer could hold the key to preventing or treating malignant tumours, say scientists.

Saturn probe to acquire Earth image
The Cassini probe in orbit around Saturn is going to picture the ringed planet in a special photo that also includes a distant Earth.

Doctors plea for Guantanamo care
An open letter published in the Lancet medical journal calls for hunger-striking Guantanamo Bay detainees to receive independent medical care.

Food labels system to be rolled out
A new consistent system of front-of-pack food labelling is to be introduced in the UK, the government says.

Dominant England reach Trophy final
England cruise into the final of the Champions Trophy with a seven-wicket victory over South Africa at The Oval.

Football fixtures for 2013-14 announced
Football fixtures for the Premier League, Football League and Scottish leagues for the 2013-14 season are announced.

Telegram Era ends Stop
The last telegram in the world will be sent next month. Kathryn Westcott looks at telegraphy's linguistic legacy.

Does a child die of hunger every 10 seconds?
It's a shocking statistic that a child dies of hunger every 10 seconds, very good at grabbing headlines. But is it true?

Top South Sudan officials sacked
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir sacks two high-ranking government ministers embroiled in a multi-million dollar financial scandal.

Army leads north India flood rescue
Military helicopters and the army are leading rescue operations in India's flood-hit northern states, where 138 people are now known to have died.

Drug firms fined for blocking rivals
Nine drug companies are fined for delaying cheaper generic drugs coming to market.

Chile to extradite Argentine judge
The Chilean Supreme Court approves the extradition of former Argentine judge Otilio Romano, accused of human rights abuses under the military government.

Refugee numbers 'highest since 1994'
The UN says 7.6 million people became refugees in 2012, the highest number since 1994, with the conflict in Syria a major new factor.

One in nine US bridges 'deficient'
One in nine bridges in the US - more than 66,000 in total - are structurally deficient, a number likely to grow amid US budget woes, a report finds.

NHS 'cover-up' unacceptable - Hunt
A cover-up by England's NHS regulator after a series of baby deaths at a Cumbria hospital is unacceptable, the health secretary says.

Families win Iraq deaths damages bid
Families of soldiers killed in Iraq can sue the government for negligence and bring damages claims under the Human Rights Act, the Supreme Court rules.

MP Evans 'refutes all allegations'
Commons Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans says he "refutes all allegations" after he is arrested on suspicion of three counts of indecent assault.

Ian Brady 'chronically psychotic'
Moors Murderer Ian Brady remains "chronically psychotic", an expert at high-security Ashworth Hospital tells his mental health tribunal.

In pictures: Brazil protest banners
Mass protests in Brazil

Day in pictures: 18 June 2013
Twenty-four hours of news photos: 18 June

In pictures: Singapore haze
Forest fires in Indonesia create haze

In pictures: On solid ground
Marking World Refugee Day

In pictures: Afghan army's elite special forces
Thwarting high-profile militant attacks

Day in pictures: 17 June 2013
Twenty-four hours of news photos: 17 June

In pictures: Tanzania's traditional healers
Healers in Tanzania?s southern highlands

In pictures: India's dying telegram service
Images from the last days of India's telegram service

The air force pilot who took her baby on missions
The air force pilot who took her daughter on missions

Glimmers of hope in Detroit
Is down-at-heel Detroit on the brink of a comeback?

How Israel keeps Holocaust memories alive
As witnesses die, will the Holocaust be forgotten?

Day in pictures: 19 June 2013
The best news photos from around the world in the last 24 hours

Models for possible Syria intervention
Possible models for intervention as West mulls action in Syria

Russia: Faberge eggs symbol of power
Russia falls again for eggs once despised as tsar?s playthings

Apartheid's roots: The Natives Land Act
The 100-year-old law still dividing South Africa

Alaa Jarban: One of Yemen's first openly gay men
Fears for author of 'I'm Queer' blogpost

VIDEO: The 13-year-old fashion blogger
The 13-year-old taking fashion blogging by storm

VIDEO: The global middle class revolution
Where is the middle class growing around the world?

IMF entering university market
The IMF is turning into a university

The rise of the global middle class
New middle class to bring profound global changes