National / International News

The Most Reverend Justin Welby is enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury, and says there is "every possible reason for optimism" about the future of the Christian faith.

The UN's Human Rights Council passes a resolution highly critical of Sri Lanka's record, pushing for a credible investigation into alleged war crimes.

The BBC has become the latest victim of Twitter hackers as several of its feeds, including @bbcweather, are taken over by pro-Syrian hackers.

Nick Bennallack shot an unarmed Manuel Diaz as he ran away from officers. His shooting death sparked days of near-riots in Anaheim.

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The Scottish independence referendum will be held on 18 September, 2014, First Minister Alex Salmond announces.

South Korean officials say unidentified hackers used a Chinese IP address to launch a massive cyber attack on banks and media firms on Wednesday.

Faith leaders are among the hundreds of people attending the Archbishop of Canterbury's enthronement on Thursday.

Dianne Abbott calls for a purge of 'sexualised' imagery from UK High Streets - and blames online bullying of young women on a "crisis in masculinity".

A government shutdown has been averted, with the house passing a spending bill that keeps things open through the end of September.

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No criminal proceedings will be pursued after 16 men died in a helicopter crash in the North Sea.

Cyprus plans to launch a state investment fund to raise billions of euros, but has just days to qualify for a 10bn-euro international bailout.

YouTube now claims a billion monthly users; that’s half of the people on the internet. But a billion users don't necessarily add up to a profitable business.

"The question about how much money they make or how much money they lose is still an open question," says Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research. As for the billion user mark, when it comes to making money, Wieser says, “it’s not terribly meaningful.”

It’s a recurring theme in these tech stories: internet-users-do-not-equal-profit.

"In the press release yesterday they said, if YouTube were a country, we’d be the 3rd largest in the country behind China or India. And I’d argue or ask the question, if YouTube were a stand-alone business, would it be bankrupt?" asks Bernard Gershon, president of Gershon Media. 

For one, most YouTube videos don’t have ads. Most advertisers don’t want to go near singing squirrels.  "I think that premium advertisers and Fortune 500 brands want to be associated with high quality video," Gershon says.

Gershon expects YouTube will keep adding eyeballs.  But, to make money, he says, it’s going to need add more widely appealing content.

And it’s considering a subscription service, where we’ll have to pay to watch the really good stuff.

YouTube now claims a billion monthly users; that’s half of the people on the internet. But a billion users don't necessarily add up to a profitable business.

"The question about how much money they make or how much money they lose is still an open question," says Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research. As for the billion user mark, when it comes to making money, Wieser says, “it’s not terribly meaningful.”

It’s a recurring theme in these tech stories: internet-users-do-not-equal-profit.

"In the press release yesterday they said, if YouTube were a country, we’d be the 3rd largest in the country behind China or India. And I’d argue or ask the question, if YouTube were a stand-alone business, would it be bankrupt?" asks Bernard Gershon, president of Gershon Media. 

For one, most YouTube videos don’t have ads. Most advertisers don’t want to go near singing squirrels.  "I think that premium advertisers and Fortune 500 brands want to be associated with high quality video," Gershon says.

Gershon expects YouTube will keep adding eyeballs.  But, to make money, he says, it’s going to need add more widely appealing content.

And it’s considering a subscription service, where we’ll have to pay to watch the really good stuff.

Italy's Five Star Movement, headed by comedian Beppe Grillo, officially asks President Giorgio Napolitano for a mandate to form a new government.

With a high-tech gadget, scientists can measure how much flavor is released from foods while we're eating. One British chef uses the device to figure out why we love to dip biscuits into tea. A quick plunge really does make the cookie yummier.

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Police were justified in publishing a 14-year-old boy's photograph as part of an investigation into sectarian rioting in Londonderry, the High Court rules.

The UN is to investigate the possible use of chemical weapons in an attack in Syria's Aleppo province, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announces.

Optimists have had no trouble finding fresh evidence to suggest that the real estate market is recovering. Home sales are at the highest levels in years, borrowing rates are at historical lows, and builders are hiring again. But not everyone is convinced that the sector's momentum has staying power.

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Congress comfortably passes a large spending bill to keep the US government running until the end of September and prevent a shutdown.

Police are foiling a terrorism plot as big as London's 7 July attacks every year, the senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism says.