Heroines and female villains outnumber heroes and male baddies in a literary poll of memorable children's novel characters, to mark World Book Day.

The pound sees its biggest fall in more than a year against the dollar over uncertainty about a possible UK exit from the EU.

A clean-up operation is underway after the most severe cyclone to hit Fiji in living memory killed at least 20.

The US and Russia announce that a planned partial cessation of hostilities in Syria will come into effect at midnight on 27 February.

The writer behind The Spice Girls' biggest hits has teamed up with Leona Lewis to create a song they hope will be this year's UK Eurovision entry.

German government condemns a mob that tried to stop a bus from taking migrants to a shelter as "cold-hearted and cowardly".

Authorities in the US state of Michigan charge a taxi driver with six counts of murder after he went on a random shooting spree on Saturday.

The founder of Facebook tells an audience that he is "pretty sympathetic" to Apple as the iPhone-maker continues to refuse an FBI order.