A kidnapper in the US state of Alabama has died after police raided his bunker, saving a five-year-old boy held captive inside for six days.

Cockroaches groom their antennae to improve their sense of smell, scientists say.

Boeing asks US aviation authorities to allow test flights of its 787 Dreamliner passenger plane, after battery problems forced the plane to be grounded.

Russian novelist Boris Akunin is tired of street politics

The natural ability of sea urchins to absorb CO2 could be a model for an effective carbon capture and storage system, researchers say.

Young men who spend much of their spare time watching TV have lower sperm counts than more active men, a study suggests.

Living in a sunnier climate may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to US researchers.

A tiny "genetic patch" can be used to prevent a form of deafness which runs in families, according to animal tests.

Saeed Mortazavi, the former prosecutor general of Tehran, is arrested on unspecified charges, Iranian news agencies say.

Children as young as five should be given lessons in how to use the internet safely, campaigners have urged.

Mali's militants have found perfect hiding place from French forces

Dame Helen Mirren on playing Alfred's wife

Will Julia Gillard's Australian poll gamble pay off, asks Nick Bryant

A Mexican couple travelling to the beach are injured when vigilantes manning a roadblock open fire after the pair sped though a roadblock.

Yum Brands, owner of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants, reports a dip in fourth quarter profit as a food safety scare hurts its sales in China.

Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib urges embattled President Bashar al-Assad to respond to his offer of peace talks.

A new league aims to bring some razzmatazz to badminton

Would you be proud to say you 'kick ass'?

Microsoft and Huawei launch a budget Windows phone specifically for Africa as part of a wider scheme to drive smartphone uptake

How the gaps between TV channels are connecting Africa