LATEST NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS - BBC NEWS

FRENCHWOMAN 'SMOTHERED NEWBORNS' - Thu 29 Jul
Prosecutors say a Frenchwoman has admitted killing eight newborn babies after remains are found in a northern village but says her husband knew nothing.

CHILD HEART OP BAN 'SHOULD STAY' - Thu 29 Jul
Children's heart surgery should remain suspended at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital where four babies died, a report says.

CAMERON DEFENDS PAKISTAN COMMENTS - Thu 29 Jul
David Cameron says it is important to "speak frankly" after criticism of his comments about Pakistan's record on tackling terrorism.

FIXED RETIREMENT AGE TO BE AXED - Thu 29 Jul
People reaching the age of 65 will no longer be forced to retire from October next year, under plans announced by the government.

FUGITIVE TYCOON NADIR SEEKS BAIL - Thu 29 Jul
Fugitive Polly Peck tycoon Asil Nadir, who fled to northern Cyprus in 1993, begins a legal bid to be granted bail ahead of a UK theft trial.

VICAR GUILTY OF SHAM WEDDING SCAM - Thu 29 Jul
A Sussex vicar is found guilty of carrying out hundreds of sham marriages over four years to bypass immigration law.

DR CONGO BOAT SINKING 'KILLS 140' - Thu 29 Jul
About 140 people are feared dead as a boat capsizes on a river in the western Bandundu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

WARBURTONS BAKERY CLOSED BY FIRE - Thu 29 Jul
Firefighters are damping down a blaze that has forced the temporary closure of Warburtons' bakery in Bolton.

DEAD SOLDIERS REPATRIATED TO UK - Thu 29 Jul
The bodies of two British soldiers killed trying to rescue a wounded colleague and a third killed by suspected 'friendly fire' are repatriated to the UK from Afghanistan.

LANDMARK RULING ON DIVORCE MONEY - Thu 29 Jul
A "ground-breaking" Court of Appeal judgement removes the protection previously given to thousands of people in divorce proceedings.

TOKYO'S 'OLDEST MAN' WAS A CORPSE - Thu 29 Jul
The skeleton of a man previously thought to be Tokyo's oldest living male resident has been discovered in his family home.

KOH-I-NOOR DIAMOND 'STAYING PUT', PM INSISTS - Thu 29 Jul
David Cameron rejects calls for the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond, part of the Crown Jewels for 150 years, to be returned to India.

MOTHER BEAR RESCUES CUB FROM A FISHING NET IN ALASKA - Thu 29 Jul
Amateur video captures footage of a mother bear saving her cub from a fishing net in Anchorage, Alaska.

IDOWU WINS EURO TRIPLE JUMP GOLD - Thu 29 Jul
Triple jumper Phillips Idowu wins Great Britain's second gold of the European Championships as Martyn Bernard takes high jump bronze.

LIVE TEXT - RABOTNICKI V LIVERPOOL - Thu 29 Jul
Two goals for David Ngog give Liverpool a 2-0 Europa League third qualifying round first leg victory over Rabotnicki in Skopje.

MORGAN STARS AS ENGLAND DOMINATE - Thu 29 Jul
Eoin Morgan makes a superb maiden Test century as England reach an imposing 331-4 after day one of the first Test against Pakistan at Trent Bridge.

HUGHES CONFIRMED AS FULHAM BOSS - Thu 29 Jul
Fulham confirm the appointment of Mark Hughes as their new manager, replacing Roy Hodgson.

I AM NOT A NUMBER TWO, SAYS MASSA - Thu 29 Jul
Felipe Massa insists he is not playing second fiddle to Fernando Alonso, despite controversy surrounding the Ferrari drivers in last weekend's German Grand Prix.

MAN CLEARED OF MURDER THREE TIMES - Thu 29 Jul
A Cheshire businessman accused of killing a man has charges against him dropped - the third time he has been cleared of murder.

'MOCKING' TODDLER KILLERS JAILED - Thu 29 Jul
A couple who murdered a three-year-old boy in their care, inflicting more than 70 injuries on him, are jailed for life.

REVIEW WARNS OF 60,000 JOB CUTS - Thu 29 Jul
Up to 60,000 people working in the public sector in Scotland could lose their jobs, according to an independent review commissioned by ministers.

TOBIN QUESTIONED OVER SEX CRIMES - Thu 29 Jul
Convicted serial killer Peter Tobin is questioned by police in Edinburgh in connection with serious sexual crimes.

MAZE SITE SET TO BE REDEVELOPED - Thu 29 Jul
An agreement on the future of the Maze Prison site is reached by the NI first and deputy first ministers, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.

HUMAN REMAINS FOUND IN MONAGHAN - Thu 29 Jul
Human remains are found in County Monaghan by a group searching for one of the Disappeared, Charles Armstrong.

BIG S4C CHANGES AS CHIEF LEAVES - Thu 29 Jul
Fundamental changes will be made in the way S4C is run after the sudden departure of chief executive Iona Jones, says the chair of the board which oversees it.

JOBS BOOST AT SOLAR PANEL FACTORY - Thu 29 Jul
Electronics giant Sharp says a "substantial" number of jobs will be created following a £30m expansion of its Wrexham factory.

BASHIR'S PARTY DOUBTS SUDAN VOTE - Thu 29 Jul
President Bashir's NCP says the referendum on south Sudan's secession cannot happen until the internal border is decided.

ZIMBABWE FOOTBALL CHIEF SUSPENDED - Thu 29 Jul
The Zimbabwe Football Association suspends chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya over match-fixing allegations.

CHEMICALS WASHED INTO CHINA RIVER - Thu 29 Jul
Rescue teams in north-east China are working to retrieve 3,000 barrels of chemicals washed into a major river, state media say.

JAPANESE TANKER IN DAMAGE MYSTERY - Thu 29 Jul
Officials investigate damage to a Japanese oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, amid reports of a collision or an attack.

'HIJACK' FOILED AT MOSCOW AIRPORT - Thu 29 Jul
Russian security forces at Moscow's Domodedovo airport arrest a man suspected of trying to hijack a plane.

GREEK POLICE CLASH WITH HAULIERS - Thu 29 Jul
Greek police fire tear gas to disperse hundreds of lorry drivers protesting in Athens against a government order to end their strike.

CUBAN HUNGER STRIKER RETURNS HOME - Thu 29 Jul
Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas, who was on hunger strike for more than 130 days, is released from hospital.

PARAGUAY REBEL 'DIES IN SHOOTOUT' - Thu 29 Jul
Paraguayan police shoot dead a reputed rebel leader as he resists arrest in the north of the country, officials say.

ARAB LEAGUE ENDORSES DIRECT TALKS - Thu 29 Jul
The Arab League backs direct Palestinian peace talks with the Israelis, but leaves the timing to the Palestinians, officials say.

GUN AND BOMB ATTACKS HIT BAGHDAD - Thu 29 Jul
At least 16 people, including several security force members, are killed in shootings and explosions in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, officials say.

SCORES DIE IN PAKISTAN MONSOONS - Thu 29 Jul
Floods triggered by monsoon rains kill at least 100 people in north-west Pakistan, and further downpours are forecast.

SECOND MISSING US SAILOR 'DEAD' - Thu 29 Jul
Jarod Newlove, the second of two US servicemen who went missing in Afghanistan last week, is found dead, officials say.

ARIZONA TAKES LAW FIGHT TO APPEAL - Thu 29 Jul
Arizona says it will appeal against a federal court's decision to block parts of an anti-immigration law hours before it came into effect.

US MILITARY GRAVES 'MISLABELLED' - Thu 29 Jul
As many as 6,600 graves at Arlington National Cemetery were mislabelled or unmarked because of incompetence among managers, a US senator says.

GAMBLING FIRMS REVEAL MERGER PLAN - Thu 29 Jul
The UK's Partygaming and Austrian firm Bwin unveil plans to merge and create the world's largest online gaming business.

OIL FIRMS' PROFITS ALMOST DOUBLE - Thu 29 Jul
Oil giants Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil see profits almost double in the week rival BP suffered record losses.

TOYOTA ANNOUNCES FRESH CAR RECALL - Thu 29 Jul
Toyota is recalling almost 430,000 vehicles in the US and Japan amid concern over steering problems.

UKIP WINS £367,000 DONATION CASE - Thu 29 Jul
The UK Independence Party wins its court battle against having to pay back all of a £367,697 "impermissible donation".

CABLE TUC INVITATION 'WITHDRAWN' - Thu 29 Jul
Business Secretary Vince Cable will not address the TUC's annual congress after his invitation to speak was withdrawn.

PM REVEALS COALITION UNCERTAINTY - Thu 29 Jul
David Cameron reveals he told the Queen he was not "totally sure" what sort of government he was going to form as he became prime minister.

PUBLIC HEALTH FEAR IN NHS REVAMP - Thu 29 Jul
The overhaul of the NHS may harm the public health drive, a health think tank is warning.

SAY FAT NOT OBESE, SAYS MINISTER - Wed 28 Jul
GPs and other health professionals should tell people they are fat rather than obese, England's public health minister says.

HIP HOPE FROM STEM CELL TECHNIQUE - Thu 29 Jul
Doctors may soon be able to patch up damaged bones and joints anywhere in the body with a simple shot in the arm.

150 SCHOOLS ASK TO BE ACADEMIES - Thu 29 Jul
More than 150 top schools in England have applied to become academies, government documents show.

DRAMATIC FALL IN PUPIL EXPULSION - Thu 29 Jul
There has been a dramatic fall in the number of pupils excluded from schools in England in the past year, official figures show.

RISE IN PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTIONS - Thu 29 Jul
A growing number of children in Britain are being abducted by a parent and taken overseas, the Foreign Office says.

FACEBOOK DATA HOARDER SPEAKS OUT - Thu 29 Jul
Security researcher Ron Bowes tells BBC News why he collected and published the personal details of 100m Facebook users.

GOOGLE CLEARED OF WI-FI SNOOPING - Thu 29 Jul
No "significant" personal data was grabbed by Google when it snooped on wi-fi networks, says the UK data protection office.

AMAZON OFFERS NEW LOOK UK KINDLE - Thu 29 Jul
Online retailer Amazon launches its popular Kindle e-reader into the UK market for the first time, with a new look and more books.

GALAPAGOS OFF UNESCO DANGER LIST - Thu 29 Jul
A Unesco panel votes to remove the Galapagos Islands from a "red list" of endangered heritage sites, drawing protests from a leading conservation group.

X PRIZE FOR OIL SPILL SOLUTIONS - Thu 29 Jul
The X Prize foundation, best known for launching the private spaceflight industry, launches a $1.4 million oil clean-up challenge.

PLANKTON DECLINING ACROSS OCEANS - Wed 28 Jul
The amount of plankton in the oceans has declined markedly over the last century, with warming identified as a cause.

AWARDS DOUBLE FOR VALENTINE BAND - Thu 29 Jul
Welsh rock band Bullet For My Valentine scoop two prizes at this year's Kerrang! Awards, including best British group for the third year running.

NO CHARGES FOR JACKSON'S DOCTORS - Thu 29 Jul
Seven doctors who treated Michael Jackson in the years before his death will not face charges, US investigators say.

CAPSULES TO MARK LENNON'S LEGACY - Thu 29 Jul
Three time capsules are to be created on what would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday, to be dedicated at a ceremony in the US.

THE BIG CHEESE - Wed 28 Jul
With thousands expected to flock to a major cheese fair, why are Britons taking this once-humble foodstuff so seriously?

CREATIVE BLOCK: THE TORMENT OF ARTISTS - Tue 27 Jul
Professor Robert Winston on how creative block has tormented great artists and even those in the sciences.

IS THIS ACTRESS THE IDEAL SHAPE? - Tue 27 Jul
Mad Men's sassy secretary has been given government sanction for her body shape - but how realistic is it for women?

FBI TO HUNT WIKILEAKS CULPRIT - Thu 29 Jul
The publication of sensitive military documents on the WikiLeaks website is "potentially severe and dangerous" for US troops and their partners in Afghanistan, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said.

BOLLYWOOD VERSION OF AUSTEN'S EMMA - Thu 29 Jul
A modern Bollywood adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma is set to hit the big screen. Anna Holligan went to meet its stars.

FIRE ENGULFS TOUR BOAT OFF TURKEY - Thu 29 Jul
A Spanish tourist remains missing after a Turkish tour boat was engulfed by flames while sailing in the Mediterranean.

LABOUR CONTENDERS' SECRET VICES - Thu 29 Jul
The contenders for the Labour leadership have set out their personal circumstances, the reasons they went into politics and their secret vices.

MONSOON RAINS FLOOD PAKISTAN - Thu 29 Jul
With monsoons being heavier than normal, floods in north-west Pakistan have killed at least 100 people.

KEEPING PACE WITH A TOP ATHLETE - Thu 29 Jul
The BBC's Tim Franks tries to keep pace with Nader el Masri on the dusty roads of Gaza.

CAMERON ON 'SPEAKING FRANKLY' - Thu 29 Jul
Prime Minister David Cameron has defended his comments about Pakistan's record on tackling terrorism.

EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE KITCHEN SINK - Thu 29 Jul
A team of divers - known as Neptune's Army of Rubbish Cleaners - are stepping up efforts to keep Britain's coastline clean and litter free.

BODY OF EVIDENCE - Thu 29 Jul
Was Dr Crippen innocent of his wife's murder?

CHILDLESS STIGMA - Thu 29 Jul
Happily married, don't want kids - why is it seen as odd?

WALL'S WARS - Thu 29 Jul
Profile of new head of British army, Gen Sir Peter Wall

HUMAN COST - Thu 29 Jul
Madagascar hospitals hit as aid cut over army coup