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Pakistan plays down Cameron row Pakistan says it expects "fruitful" talks between its president and David Cameron despite a row over comments about its alleged links to terror.

UK troops 'uncover bomb factory' British troops targeting a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan have found a cache of bomb-making equipment, the Ministry of Defence says.

Huntley 'should not sue' prison Soham murderer Ian Huntley should drop his claim for compensation after having his throat slashed by an inmate, victims campaigners have said.

Team's new Atlantic rowing record Four rowers reach the Isles of Scilly from New York, taking 12 days off the 114-year-old Atlantic record.

Pakistan floods 'kill 800' people The worst monsoon floods in living memory kill at least 800 people and affect one million in north-west Pakistan, a local official says.

Germany mourns Love Parade dead Germany holds an emotional memorial service for the 21 people killed in a stampede at the Love Parade dance festival in the western city of Duisburg last weekend.

Two men quizzed over explosives Two men from north Wales are being questioned at a central London police station over possible explosives offences.

Sir Bobby remembered one year on One year to the day since the death of former England boss Sir Bobby Robson, a ceremony takes place at Newcastle ground, St James's Park.

Bike hire fee lifted after glitch Cyclists who used London's bike hire scheme on its first day will not be billed because of technical problems.

Chelsea Clinton to marry banker The only child of former US President Bill Clinton, Chelsea, is due to marry in a ceremony cloaked in secrecy.

Fossil sparks whale of a row for Egypt customs The fossil of a whale is at the centre of a bizarre customs wrangle at Cairo airport, the BBC's Jon Leyne reports.

Anyone seen my boa? Six foot snake on the loose Police are searching for a 6ft (1.8m) long snake which escaped through a bathroom window at a house in Essex.

Live - European Championships day five Britain's Michael Rimmer takes 800m silver, Jessica Ennis eyes heptathlon gold, while Dai Greene and Mo Farah go for glory in Barcelona.

Prior guides England towards win England are on course for a resounding win in the first Test after an unbeaten century from Matt Prior and three early wickets in Pakistan's second innings.

Flying Vettel takes Hungary pole Red Bull dominate qualifying for the Hungarian GP, with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber on the front row ahead of the Ferraris.

Blackpool promise to pay bonuses Blackpool players who are still waiting to receive bonuses for winning promotion to the Premier League are reassured that they will be paid.

Redknapp blasts friendly schedule Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp criticises the timing of forthcoming international friendlies as the start of the new season approaches.

Man wanted over murder in Spain Spanish police are hunting for a Liverpool man who is suspected of shooting a father-of-two dead in a crowded bar in the Costa del Sol.

Knifepoint bid to kidnap girl, 12 A man attempted to abduct a 12-year-old girl at knifepoint as she was walking along a street in Essex.

Scotland 'needs financial powers' The Scottish government says the argument for Scotland gaining more financial powers has to be won in order to grow the economy.

Funeral for boy drowned in pond A funeral service is held for a toddler who drowned after falling into a garden pond in Edinburgh earlier this month.

North Belfast flat stand-off ends A man is arrested after a four-hour long stand-off with police at a property in Belfast.

Woman killed in Cookstown crash A 27-year-old woman has died in hospital following a car crash in Cookstown, County Tyrone.

S4C chief 'faced plot,' fears AM Former heritage minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas says he is concerned there may have been a plot to oust the Welsh-language TV channel S4C's ex-chief executive.

Village mourns boat death girl, 9 Residents of a village from where a nine-year-old girl from south Wales has died in a rafting accident in Turkey have spoken of their shock and sadness.

Three charged with Uganda bombing Three Kenyans are charged with the murders of 76 people killed when bombs exploded as they watched the World Cup on TV in Kampala, Uganda.

Everglades on Unesco danger list A UN panel adds the Florida Everglades and Madagascar's tropical rainforest to a list of world heritage sites at risk.

Change call after Australia fires A report into Australia's worst bushfires, in 2009, recommends sweeping changes to the way the government responds to natural disasters.

China mine explosion 'kills 15' At least 15 people die at a mine in northern China, as a suspected explosives store blows up.

Russia mobilises as fires burn on Almost 240,000 people have been mobilised across Russia to tackle wildfires that have killed at least 30 people, officials say.

Greek military told to move fuel Greece will use military vehicles to restore fuel supplies cut by a lorry drivers' strike, the government says.

Farc call to new Colombian leader Colombia's Farc rebel group issues a call for dialogue with the new government after Juan Manuel Santos's election as president.

Argentine gay weddings go ahead A gay couple become the first to marry in Argentina under a new law allowing same-sex unions.

Lebanon urged to resist violence Syria's president and the Saudi king call on Lebanon's rival factions to avoid turning to violence amid mounting political tensions in the country.

Hamas fighter dies in air strikes A Hamas militant is killed and several people hurt in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, hours after a Palestinian rocket hit the Israeli city of Ashkelon.

Pakistan crash 'black box' found Investigators scouring the wreckage of Pakistan's worst-ever air disaster have found the plane's flight data recorder, officials say.

More civilian deaths in Kashmir At least two people are killed in Indian-administered Kashmir in a second deadly day of protests against Indian rule.

US economic growth slows to 2.4% US economic growth slowed between April and June, with GDP growing by an annualised rate of 2.4%, the US Commerce Department says.

Wikileaks denies 'blood on hands' The founder of Wikileaks rejects US claims he has blood on his hands after releasing leaked documents on the Afghan war.

Tax credit repayments 'to soar' Many more people will face having to pay back some of the money paid to them as tax credits because of Budget changes, experts say.

Interns are 'entitled to be paid' Many young people working free as interns may legally be entitled to pay, a report says.

Addresses set to lose county name Counties appear set to be dropped from postal addresses in future years after complaints about out-of-date names.

Labour 'could be out for years' Labour leadership contender David Miliband warns that the party could be out of power for years at the final hustings meeting before the vote.

Prescott Iraq intelligence doubts The intelligence on Iraq's weapons threat was "not very substantial", former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott says.

Benefits face 'radical' shake-up Merging all tax credits and benefits into a single payment is one option being considered by Iain Duncan Smith in a "radical" welfare shake-up.

Concern over rape medic shortage A lack of specialist medics to care for rape victims could be hampering conviction rates, doctors believe.

Calcium pills 'raise' heart risk Calcium supplements taken by many older people could be increasing their risk of a heart attack, research shows.

Pregnant women rights questioned The right of women to choose whether they have home births is being questioned by a leading medical journal.

Gove defends academy schools list The Education Secretary insists there no is rush for schools in England to become academies, after criticism over the number of schools coming forward.

Maths fears over A-level reforms Plans to reform A-levels could put students off maths and lead to university department closures, an academic body warns.

150 schools ask to be academies More than 150 top schools in England have applied to become academies, government documents show.

Call to check on mobile security Owners of mobile phones are being asked to test the security of their network to see if enough is being done to stop eavesdropping.

UK troops use iPad app for fire mission training Newsbeat's had an exclusive look at new training being given to UK soldiers at the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire.

Facebook data hoarder speaks out Security researcher Ron Bowes tells BBC News why he collected and published the personal details of 100m Facebook users.

Mammals decline in Chernobyl zone The largest wildlife census of its kind conducted in Chernobyl reveals evidence of mammals declining in the exclusion zone.

Further Chile quakes 'possible' Land in the north of Chile is "ready" for another major earthquake, say researchers, adding that authorities did not act on previous warnings.

BP boss scaling back oil effort The incoming BP chief executive has said it is time to scale back some parts of the oil spill clean-up in the Gulf of Mexico.

Balding complains over sex jibe Sports presenter Clare Balding makes an official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over an article which mocked her sexuality.

DeGeneres leaving American Idol Comedienne and chat show host Ellen DeGeneres is leaving American Idol after one season on the judging panel.

Ben Shephard says goodbye to GMTV Ben Shephard bids farewell to GMTV after 10 years telling viewers: "I'm going to miss all of you, every single one of you."

Quiz of the week's news The Magazine's weekly quiz of the news, 7 days 7 questions - plus the Weekly Bonus Question.

Family getaway or get away? They frequently end in disaster and can be anything but relaxing. Why do we persist with the ordeal of family holidays?

Was croquet an Olympic sport? Tug of war, croquet and cricket have all featured at the Olympics. See what else has been in and out over the years.

Silent march for Love Parade dead A silent march and mass balloon release has taken place in Duisberg to honour 21 people who died at last weekend's Love Parade dance festival

Australia bushfires: What went wrong? A report into the bushfires that tore across Victoria, Australia, in early 2009 has called for sweeping changes to the way the authorities respond to natural disasters.

Tables turned on top QC Jonathan Sumption, one of Britain's top barristers, talks to Matt Stadlen about whether judges have too much power, why history matters, the secret to a good cross-examination and why he applauds inequality.

Blind driver targets speed record A bank manager from Sale, Greater Manchester, is hoping to become the first blind person to drive a car at more than 200mph.

River punting gets fast and physical Punting would normally be seen as a tranquil way to pass a summer day on the river, but race punting is an altogether different affair.

Excitement ahead of Clinton wedding Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former US president Bill Clinton, is to marry long-term boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky at a private ceremony.

Argentina celebrates first gay weddings The first gay weddings have taken place in Argentina after the implementation of a law approved by parliament earlier this month.

Giant hailstone breaks US record A hailstone weighing almost a kilo that fell in the state of South Dakota has been confirmed as the largest ever recovered in the USA.

In pictures Emotional memorial for Love Parade victims

Wedding belle Why Chelsea Clinton continues to fascinate

Week in pictures Striking pictures from around the world this week

Life without a stomach The sisters who had surgery to combat family cancer threat

Beyond Auschwitz Polish town's struggle to emerge from shadow of Nazi horror

The G word How did cast of Jersey Shore rile Italian-Americans?