Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive, Stephen Hester, says he briefly considered resigning during the uproar over his bonus.

A police woman's lost mobile phone containing hundreds of photographs and operational details falls into the hands of dissident republicans.

Three paintings from Elizabeth Taylor's personal art collection are sold for almost £14 million at an auction in London.

Syrian opposition groups say more than 40 people have been killed as the bombardment of the city of Homs continues.

US conservative Rick Santorum wins races for the Republican presidential nomination in three states, upsetting front-runner Mitt Romney.

Scientists in the US have successfully made human brain cells in the lab that are an exact replica of genetically caused Parkinson's disease.

An assembly member is to lead a Senedd debate later in a bid to introduce compulsory microchipping for dogs in Wales.

Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani files an appeal against appearing before the Supreme Court on contempt charges on 13 February.

A new squad of 1,000 officers dedicated to tackling gang-related crime in London is being launched by the Metropolitan Police.

Temperatures in England plummeted overnight but failed to match the coldest night of the winter so far.

Employers added permanent jobs for the first time in four months in January, says the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

A 70-year-old man was struck dead by a stolen car minutes after officers stopped chasing it, police say.

Papers ponder health bill as it returns to Lords

A council leader faces a vote of no confidence after allegedly disparaging comments about staff and hospital protesters were posted on YouTube.

Crucial assembly elections begin in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

A rock fall that released methane gas may have triggered the deadly Pike River mine blast in New Zealand, experts report.

An SDLP delegation is to meet the the UK minister for welfare reform in London later to discuss concerns about benefit changes for Northern Ireland.

A US court has ruled that a ban on same-sex marriages in California is unconstitutional.

A missile attack by an unmanned US drone aircraft in north-west Pakistan kills 10 suspected militants, Pakistani security officials say.

Are eating challenges becoming more popular in England?