National / International News

The Oscar Pistorius case has tapped into two long-running and emotionally charged issues in South Africa: the fear of crime and violence against women.

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Proof that Apple has been exploring the idea of a smart watch are confirmed by a patent filed by the company.

England seek their first one-day series win in New Zealand since 1994 in the deciding match in Auckland on Saturday.

The future judging line-up of The X Factor has not been decided yet, an ITV spokesman says.

A review of how Surrey Police handled historic child sex investigations, including allegations against Jimmy Savile, is ordered.

More than £50m has been wasted on failed schemes to improve hospital food, according to a new report.

He may have been ousted from office, prosecuted for fraud, corruption and having sex with an underage prostitute but he’s back! Italian media magnate and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is seeking re-election at the polls this weekend.

Perhaps even more surprising:  He could conceivably win high office again.

“It’s still unlikely but it’s not impossible any more,” says Vincenzo Scarpetta of the Open Europe think tank. "Berlusconi has made a remarkable political comeback. He has been able to gain ground in the opinion polls, largely thanks to his anti-austerity campaign.”

Berlusconi has promised to reduce some of the taxes imposed by the previous government; he’s even pledged to refund the hated property tax paid by many homeowners late last year. And he refuses to accept the need for radical reform to shake-up Italy’s inflexible labor market. His message is proving popular with many Italians at a time when there is widespread weariness with budget cuts and falling living standards.

Franco Pavoncello of John Cabot University in Rome says Italians  are undoubtedly suffering:

“GDP’s going down. It’s negative. Unemployment is growing constantly. Shops are closing left and right. You know the country is on its knees," says Professor Pavoncello.

But if Berlusconi wins the election, Italy’s plight might worsen:

“It would put the frighteners on the markets and all the European institutions. And it would cause major problems for Italy and the European Union” says James Walston of the American University in Rome.

If Italy abandons austerity and reform, markets may drive up its borrowing costs again. The eurozone debt crisis -- now dormant -- could be rudely reawakened. Victory for a coalition of pro-reform parties seems more likely than a Berlusconi win, but markets won’t fully relax until the results are in.  

Paintings by a previously unknown British artist are expected to fetch more than £100,000 at auction after it was discovered they have works by Francis Bacon on the back.

Police have released CCTV images in a bid to trace a couple they say left a restaurant without paying following a Valentine's Day meal.

A glass of wine can be a welcome sight after a long day watching the kids, but fruit fly moms use alcohol from fermenting fruit to protect their offspring from marauding wasps. That's just one of the ways the tiny flies are using booze to survive the slings and arrows of existence.

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Bestselling author James Patterson has joined the Duchess of Cornwall at the launch of a campaign to encourage more fathers to read to their children.

The Jets quarterback reversed a decision to attend the opening of a new facility for the First Baptist Church in Dallas, whose pastor has disparaged other religions and homosexuals.

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Mike Brown says England will look to attack against France in their Six Nations clash at Twickenham on Saturday.

Lewis Hamilton reveals his Mercedes car will not be fast enough to compete for victories at the start of the season.

Damien Hirst creates and signs 50 limited edition prints featuring his diamond-encrusted skull wearing a glittery red nose, to raise funds for Comic Relief.

Several hours of heavy rain and a thunderstorm in the Greek capital Athens have flooded roads and homes, caused traffic jams and disrupted the train and tram network, officials say.

Kenyan police find leaflets inciting violence being distributed in some areas, less than two weeks ahead of general elections.

China's environment ministry appears to have acknowledged the existence of so-called "cancer villages", after years of public speculation about the impact of pollution in certain areas.

Montrose Air Station, Britain's first military air base, is marking its 100th anniversary.

Growing amounts of individuals' financial data are being used to assess loans applications, and credit agencies are seeking more deals with utility firms to access customer information.