Veteran entertainer Ronnie Corbett and golf champions Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy head the New Year Honours list.

Officials in Egypt reassure the United States that police raids on the offices of pro-democracy groups will stop, after coming under strong criticism.

People hoping to drink cheap vodka while welcoming the new year are warned about the dangers of counterfeit versions of the drink.

A pioneer in the field of obesity research and a woman who launched the first mobile chemotherapy unit are honoured in the New Year Honours list.

Glaxo Smith Kline boss Andrew Witty and ex Tesco chairman David Reid are knighted, as ex-convict Gerald Ronson gets a CBE

Former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Lord Carlile is among five Parliamentarians to be honoured in the New Year's Honours list.

Samoa and Tokelau skip a day and jump to the other side of the international dateline to align with trade partners.

The new leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, is formally named supreme commander of the country's army, state media say, days after his father's funeral.