From German princes representing Mexico to Russian arm wrestlers competing in bobsleigh - 10 athletes to watch at Sochi

Preliminary peace talks between the Pakistani government and the Taliban are due to get under way in Islamabad, despite a recent spate of violence.

The globe is facing a "tidal wave" of cancer, and restrictions on alcohol and sugar need to be considered, say World Health Organization scientists.

A man who acted as UKIP's Commonwealth spokesman has served a seven-year jail sentence over a kidnapping in Pakistan, BBC Newsnight reveals.

New York City police have found up to 70 bags of suspected heroin in actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's home, a day after his death, US media say.

The most disadvantaged pupils in Shanghai match the maths test results of wealthy pupils in the UK, says the OECD.

Ukraine opposition MPs are expected to push for constitutional changes that would reduce the power of the president, as parliament begins a new term.

An adventurer who has spent a year running across Canada completes his 5,000-mile (8,000m) journey in Vancouver.