General Teaching Council bans a teacher who used a picture of a child with a noose around the neck to control pupils in Essex.

Australian officials warn Cyclone Yasi, approaching Queensland with winds of up to 295 km/h (183 mph), could be the deadliest storm in living memory.

Swiss bank accounts held by Haiti's ex-leader Jean-Claude Duvalier are blocked as a new law takes effect in Switzerland.

Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is to give evidence to the Iraq Inquiry for a third time, in the last of its scheduled public hearings.

Queensland residents in vulnerable areas are urged to flee quickly before Cyclone Yasi strikes with winds of up to 295km/h (183mph).

Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe says a visit to London has inspired him to come out of retirement in a bid to compete at the 2012 Olympics.

The crew of the Mars500 simulated mission to the Red Planet have gone into "orbit" around their target.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg laughs off reports he stops work at 3pm each day - saying not working hard enough is not one of his flaws.