Militants cell killed in Moscow by Russian special forces

A special forces raid in St Petersburg and an attack by gunmen near Moscow have left at least six suspected militants dead, officials say.Four were killed at a block of flats in St Petersburg, as special forces searched for North…

Top North Korean diplomat defects to South Korea

A top North Korean diplomat who disappeared from the country's embassy in London has defected to South Korea, officials in Seoul have confirmed.Thae Yong-ho and his family are under the government's protection, a South Korean…

Viruses are more dangerous to health in the morning

Viruses are more dangerous when they infect their victims in the morning, a University of Cambridge study suggests.The findings, published in PNAS, showed viruses were 10 times more successful if the infection started in the…

Ford to launch self-driving car by 2021

Ford has said it will mass-produce a fully autonomous self-driving car without a steering wheel by 2021.The bold ambition was outlined by the company’s president, Mark Fields, at an event in Palo Alto, California.Ford said it…

What is the story behind the Olympic rings?

In 1894, Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin—a French aristocrat and intellectual who had previously attempted to incorporate more physical education in schools—convened a congress in Paris with the goal of reviving the ancient Olympic…