A senior Chinese official says "uncivilised behaviour" by some Chinese tourists is damaging the country's image abroad.

Singer George Michael is airlifted to hospital with a head injury following a crash on the M1.

James Anderson becomes only the fourth England player to take 300 Test wickets during the first Test against New Zealand.

The Nigerian military says it has launched an all-out assault on Islamist militants in the north-east of the country.

A Saudi man has died after setting himself on fire in protest at his treatment by authorities, the BBC has learned.

GPS data could provide faster and more accurate early warning systems for tsunamis, a German team of scientists suggest.

Explosions near two mosques in a village in the Malakand region of north-west Pakistan leave at least 13 people dead.

Spain records its first monthly trade surplus in more than 40 years as demand for imports dries up.

Twenty-four hours of news photos: 17 May

Toulon's Jonny Wilkinson is among five nominees for European Player of the Year following his impressive Heineken Cup displays.

The SNP says UKIP leader Nigel Farage "has lost the plot" after he described protesters who besieged him in Edinburgh as "fascist scum".

Revelations that Costa Rica's president used a jet belonging to a Colombian with alleged links to drug trafficking have led to three resignations.

Police believe the mother of a 20-month-old girl whose body was found in a house in Oxfordshire has fled to Kenya.

British actress Emma Watson was among the cast attending the premiere of The Bling Ring in Cannes on Thursday.

Maria Sharapova's preparations for the French Open suffer a setback after she withdraws from the Italian Open because of illness.

The British explorer, Daniel Hughes, is climbing Mount Everest in an attempt to raise £1m for Comic Relief.

Egyptian police sealed off the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in protest at the abduction of seven security personnel in Sinai.

A man accused of abducting and murdering five-year-old April Jones says it never occurred to him to ring 999 for help.

A former adviser to supermodel Elle Macpherson abandons her claim for damages against News Group Newspapers after "no evidence of hacking" is found.

US politicians are seeking reassurances from Google that its smart spectacles will respect personal privacy.