The uncle of the South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius has defended his nephew, after the Paralympic star won concessions in his bail conditions over the shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steencamp.

Doctors in London who have been using a special new vest to help diagnose abnormal heart rhythms say it has enabled them to treat more patients successfully.

Tiny robotic ants created by scientists in the US are able to navigate through a network by following one another's trail, footage reveals.

A look at some of the fluorescent fish, produced by gene modification in Taiwan.

Police in California have released surveillance video footage of a botched burglary in a bid to track down the suspect.

A Soyuz spacecraft has launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, marking an historic new landmark in space travel.

Pope Francis has washed the feet of prisoners in a youth detention centre near Rome as part of the Maundy Thursday service.

South African President Jacob Zuma has told the BBC that Nelson Mandela is responding well to hospital treatment for a recurring lung infection.

Queues formed ahead of the re-opening of Cyprus banks, but customers were only allowed to withdraw small amounts of cash to prevent a run on the banks

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, will be allowed to travel after successfully challenging the terms of his bail.

A man who shot his parents dead after trying to kill them by driving a car into a canal has been jailed for life.

A severe plague of locusts has infested about half of Madagascar, threatening crops and raising concerns about food shortages, a UN agency says.

A large landslide has damaged houses and prompted evacuations in Washington State in the US.

The internet around the world has been slowed down in what security experts are describing as the biggest cyber-attack of its kind in history.

A new BBC documentary series captures Prince William, or Flight Lieutenant Wales, as never seen before - in his role as a search and rescue pilot based on Anglesey.

The Today presenter hears from Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis

More than two million of the poorest households in England will pay more council tax from next week because of benefit changes coming into force, an anti-poverty think tank has said.

A consortium of oil companies is to invest more than $500m (£330m) in an appraisal drilling programme which could lead to further development of a giant North Sea field.

General Motors has unveiled a number of new models at the New York Auto Show as the company aims to boost its fortunes following a government bailout.

A US law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman only has been sharply criticised by a number of Supreme Court justices at a landmark hearing.