The Syrian ambassador's invitation to Friday's royal wedding has been withdrawn after officials said it was "inappropriate" for him to attend. The decision to invite Dr Sami Khiyami had been criticised, amid condemnation of a violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in the country.

It would be the biggest boon to Romanian tourism since Dracula. The impoverished Transylvanian village Viscri has made a surprise appearance on the media's short list of possible honeymoon destinations for Britain's Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton.

American interest in Britain’s upcoming royal wedding is a reflection of the historic bond between the two countries, a bond which Winston Churchill called a "special relationship.” The phrase has been renewed throughout the years, but like any relationship it has had its ups and downs.

When Lord Patten went before the Commons culture, media and sport select committee last month to lay out his credentials as the new chairman of the BBC Trust, he deliberately alighted on a key issue for programme makers and viewers: whether the BBC has become too risk-averse in its commissioning.

In seven months on loan from the British Museum to the National Museum of Iran [the Cyrus Cylinder] has been seen by more than a million Iranians. MacGregor believes that the cylinder -- and objects like it -- can do what politicians often fail to do and bring antagonistic countries closer together.

Britain should abandon its plan to cut funding for the BBC World Service or at least ring-fence some parts of it, including BBC Arabic, in the light of the upheaval in the region, parliamentarians said on Wednesday.

An influential cross-party committee of MPs has called for the cuts to the BBC's World Service to be reversed to protect its global reputation. The Commons foreign affairs select committee said the 16% budget cut imposed on the service as part of the government's comprehensive spending review had "long-term ramifications"...

British Prime Minister David Cameron will call for a new start in relations with Pakistan on Tuesday, eight months after sparking a diplomatic row by saying Pakistan should not be allowed to "look both ways" on terrorism.