Mining giant BHP Billiton abandons its takeover bid for fertiliser group Potash Corporation after it was blocked by the Canadian government.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, the British couple held for 13 months by Somali pirates, prepare to return to the UK following their release.

Japan's economy expanded faster than expected between July and September, but much of the growth was due to one-off factors, figures show.

Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson is to join the Indian version of Big Brother, a spokesman for the channel airing the show said.

The number of North Koreans arriving in the South has surged because of economic hardship, passing 20,000 at the weekend, South Korea says.

Facebook is expected to launch a new messaging system seen as a direct challenge to Google's Gmail, as well as Yahoo and Hotmail.

A tiny new species of bat is discovered in the western slopes of the Andes in northwestern Ecuador.

The Palestinian leadership could fall apart in the West Bank unless there is significant progress towards peace, an Israeli intelligence official warns.