Media are cautiously optimistic over Beijing-Vatican ties after telegrams sent before and after Pope Francis's visit to South Korea. Enroute to Rome, the Pope sent a telegram to President Xi Jinping as a follow-up to a message he had sent when he flew over ...

Media are cautiously optimistic over Beijing-Vatican ties after telegrams sent before and after Pope Francis's visit to South Korea. Enroute to Rome, the Pope sent a telegram to President Xi Jinping as a follow-up to a message he had sent when he flew over ...

The Gaza ceasefire has been extended for a further 24 hours after talks in Cairo, Palestinian and Israeli officials have told the BBC. The current ceasefire came into effect last Wednesday, but was due to expire at midnight (21:00 GMT) on Monday. Officials say ...

Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted the government's position on Iraq is "clear" and said the UK would not deploy "boots on the ground". But Mr Cameron also said Britain would "use all the assets that we have", including "military prowess" and aid to ...

The Pope has called for reconciliation on the Korean peninsula, on the final day of his visit to South Korea. Koreans, Pope Francis said, should reject a "mindset of suspicion and confrontation" and find new paths to build peace. He spoke at a Mass in Seoul's ...

In Pakistan, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters are expected to arrive in the capital Islamabad on Friday for a showdown with the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. They want him to stand down just a year after he came to power. Mr Sharif says he has ...

US drinks giant Coca-Cola has bought a 16.7% stake in Monster Beverage in a cash deal, as it looks for growth away from fizzy drinks. In the $2.15bn (£1.3bn) deal, Coca-Cola will transfer its worldwide energy business to Monster. In exchange, Monster will ...

The marquees of Broadway's theatres were dimmed on Wednesday in memory of Robin Williams following the actor and comedian's suicide earlier this week. Charlotte St Martin of New York's Broadway League called him "a comedic genius with limitless ...

After the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by police in the US state of Missouri, and the violence that followed, questions have arisen about the police reaction. The shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown sparked often violent protests, looting and rioting ...

France will supply arms to Iraq's Kurds "in the coming hours", French President Francois Hollande has announced. France has received approval from authorities in Baghdad for the decision, French media reports say. Kurdish forces have been fighting ...

Almost 300 lorries of humanitarian aid have left the Moscow area bound for eastern Ukraine, Russia has said. Russian media said the cargo, including hundreds of tonnes of grain, baby food, power generators and medicine, will go to civilians trapped by ...

Almost 300 lorries of humanitarian aid have left the Moscow area bound for eastern Ukraine, Russia has said. Russian media said the cargo, including hundreds of tonnes of grain, baby food, power generators and medicine, will go to civilians trapped by ...

Almost 300 lorries of humanitarian aid have left the Moscow area bound for eastern Ukraine, Russia has said. Russian media said the cargo, including hundreds of tonnes of grain, baby food, power generators and medicine, will go to civilians trapped by ...

Thousands of teenage fans had the chance to see all their idols in one room at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift were among the A-listers of the night. Singer Demi Lovato opened the ...

Previously presidents were appointed by parliament, but now the Turkish people have the opportunity to choose. There are three candidates including current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Selahattin Demirtas, who is Kurdish.

The UK and US governments have warned Russia not to use humanitarian assistance as a pretext for sending troops into eastern Ukraine. Any such intervention would be "completely unacceptable and "viewed as an invasion of Ukraine", said the US ...

The US is carrying out air strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants, citing in part the need to protect Americans in Irbil, the capital of semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. The city has been a base for foreigners and international organisations throughout more ...

The government's chief whip in the House of Lords is to replace Baroness Warsi as a Foreign Office minister, with the right to attend cabinet. Baroness Anelay of St Johns - a former president of the Citizens Advice Bureau - has been in the Lords since 1996.

Dozens of commuters in western Australia have tilted a train to free a man trapped between the carriage and the platform during the morning rush hour in the city of Perth. Staff and commuters at Stirling station managed to lift the carriage after the man slipped ...

Xavi told a news conference in Barcelona on Tuesday: "I'm grateful for all those years. It has been a fantastic time." Iker Casillas lifts the World Cup for Spain. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.