Pakistan's secretary of defence has claimed operations to rid the Swat Valley of Taliban forces from the north will be complete 'within days'. In an address to the media after an annual meeting of defence officials in Singapore on Sunday, Syed Athar Ali said only "five to ten per cent" of the mission remains incomplete. Areas in the north-west of Pakistan, including Swat and Buner, are thought to be coming under central governmental control after renewed efforts from troops to oust Taliban forces.

Sun, 31 May 2009 14:31:36

Prime minister Gordon Brown has admitted being "shocked" at the "appalling" abuses of the parliamentary expenses system and vowed to clean up politics. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme on Sunday morning, Mr Brown said the various scandals, which have included MPs claiming public money to pay for moat cleaning, building duck houses and making church donations, have "offended [his] Presbyterian conscience". The Labour leader said he would instigate a new code of conduct for MPs and those in positions of public responsibility to prevent a repeat.

Sun, 31 May 2009 12:21:24

Two British soldiers were killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on Saturday. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the two servicemen were caught up in a blast on Saturday in the town of Musa Qaleh, Helmand province. One of the as yet unidentified soldiers belonged to the Light Dragoons regiment while the other served in the Parachute regiment. Families of the two dead soldiers have been informed and their names will be released by the MoD soon.

Sun, 31 May 2009 12:11:07

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has blocked the publication of photos of a New Year party he hosted. The premier has been under fire since his wife announced that she would seek divorce from the tycoon over his alleged closeness to an 18-year-old girl, Noemi Letizia, whose birthday party he attended. The 72-year-old head of government complained to the country's data protection agency that the hundreds of photos of the party, which were taken by a paparazzo with a long-lens camera, were of a private event and hence should not be published.

Sun, 31 May 2009 12:02:06

Eton College has confirmed a further 32 suspected cases of swine flu at the public school. Last week, the boys' school said it would shut down for a week after the end of half-term after one pupil tested positive for the strain of the virus. The school said the Health Protection Agency would provide anti-viral drugs for all students and staff at the school and would personally contact the families of the 32 suspected sufferers from the disease.

Sun, 31 May 2009 11:32:24

A well-dressed jewel thief has robbed a Chopard store in Paris of more than £5 million worth of goods. The robbery took place yesterday afternoon in the up-market jewellery store in the capital's Place Vendome. Police said a man in his fifties, dressed in a suit and a Borsalino hat, entered the store just before 13:00 BST yesterday, and asked staff to hand over 15 ornamental pieces in the store's window display at gunpoint.

Sun, 31 May 2009 10:56:57

Six Palestinians have been killed in clashes between Hamas and Fatah in the West Bank. Officials said three of those killed were pro-Fatah policemen, two others belonged to Hamas and one of the dead was a civilian. They said clashes erupted as policemen in the West Bank, the Palestinian territory controlled by Fatah, went to a house in the area to arrest two members of the Shia militant group.

Sun, 31 May 2009 10:20:54

Mike Ashley has decided he wants to sell Newcastle United following their relegation from the Premier League last Sunday. Ashley has slashed the asking price for the club to £100 million, £34 million less than he originally paid for the club almost two years ago. Since that time Ashley has presided over a tempestuous two seasons at St James' Park that has seen five managers, four in the last nine months, come and go at the club.

Sun, 31 May 2009 10:15:01

A Labour MP has apologised over the submission of a claim requesting reimbursement for a church donation. Stockton North representative MP Frank Cook's £5 reimbursement claim was filed in 2006, in the form of a handwritten note, at a Battle of Britain service in his constituency, according to the Sunday Telegraph. The claim was rejected by the fees office and Mr Cook has apologised for making the claim.

Sun, 31 May 2009 09:49:13

Human rights group Amnesty International has urged the United Nations to release information about the number of civilian deaths during the Sri Lankan government's offensive against the Tamil Tigers. The south Asian country's army destroyed the separatist rebel force in military operations over the last few months with the Tamil Tigers losing control of all territory in north-east Sri Lanka and renouncing the use of arms. On Friday, the Times published special reports claiming that 20,000 civilians had died in fighting during the last stages of the campaign.

Sat, 30 May 2009 12:09:17