Best of BBC news

The music mogul could ditch next year's X Factor and says he only has a contract with ITV1 for this year's series.

Meet the rapper dubbed the 'first lady of Arabic hip hop'

Mozambique says it will reverse the increase in the price of bread that sparked deadly riots last week.

Police in Swaziland arrest about 50 people ahead of protests against sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy, activists say.

Bob Diamond is to become chief executive of Barclays, while HSBC chairman Stephen Green steps down to become a government trade minister.

The UN makes a fresh appeal for Pakistan's flood victims as film star Angelina Jolie arrives in the country to highlight their plight.

Six months after Iraq's parliamentary elections, a minister warns that the political deadlock is damaging the security situation in the country.

North Korea has asked South Korea to send rice, cement and construction equipment after devastating floods, southern officials say.

Four Nigerian former football officials are arrested amid accusations that some $8m (£5m) went missing during the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Australian author Peter Carey, who has already won the Man Booker prize twice, has made the shortlist for this year's prize.

Foreign powers should stop interfering in the case of an Iranian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning, Iran's foreign ministry says.

A Muslim stonemason is immortalised by having his face carved on a gargoyle on the side of the medieval cathedral in Lyon.

Sales of rock singles have dropped 18% in the UK this year, according to figures from the Official Charts Company.

The European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, highlights unemployment as a major challenge, in his first "state of the union" speech.

The army is conducting joint patrols with the police in Nigeria's northern city of Maiduguri after a wave of killings blamed on the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

New TV versions of hit animation movies Shrek and Kung Fu will premiere on US TV later this year.

Families focus on keeping miners mentally strong

Terry Gilliam says his latest attempt to make a film about Don Quixote has stalled again after his financial backers pulled out.

England manager Fabio Capello insists striker Wayne Rooney will play in the Euro 2012 qualifier away to Switzerland on Tuesday.

Egyptian opposition figure Mohammed ElBaradei calls for a boycott of November's parliamentary election, saying it is certain to be rigged.