The Passport Office is set to make a £50million profit, despite the backlog crisis that put thousands of people's holidays at risk. Boss Paul Pugh yesterday told MPs his agency made a surplus of that figure in 2013-14 and was on course for profits “of a similar ...

India are determined England captain Alastair Cook remains on the defensive in the first Test at Nottingham's Trent Bridge starting on Wednesday.Cook, upon whose leadership officials have staked plenty after ditching former star batsman Kevin Pietersen ...

Conceding an early goal is never a good thing, but that's exactly what Brazil did against Germany. And then they fell apart. Thomas Muller got the German party started when he was left unmarked to bundle in a Toni Kroos corner after 11 minutes. But it was ...

Israeli officials said nobody was killed after a series of long-range missiles were launched from Gaza at targets in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa in the north on Tuesday. Israel shot down at least one rocket fired at its commercial capital Tel Aviv, about 70 ...

MIROSLAV Klose became the World Cup's highest topscorer after netting his 16th goal in the competition in Germany's first-half semi-final rout of Brazil. The 36-year-old, appearing in his fourth World Cup semi-final, put Germany well on course for Sunday's ...

It's only been seven years since J.K. Rowling finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but the titular boy wizard would turn 34 this year, according to a new story by the Scottish author. Rowling treated Potter fans in June when she penned dispatches for ...

Chris Froome's Tour de France defence was in doubt last night after the 2013 champion was taken to hospital for x-rays to a wrist after a heavy fall. Froome was riding at speed on the left-hand side of the peloton early in stage four, from Le Touquet to Lille, ...

BELO HORIZONTE — Copa America, 2011: Argentina's Javier Mascherano hands the captain's armband to Lionel Messi after being sent off late in regulation time in the quarter-final against Uruguay. Argentina lose the ensuing penalty shootout as the hosts ...

As a Ukrainian government offensive sends separatists retreating from their strongholds in the country's restive east, there are signs that Moscow is seeking to distance itself from the pro-Russian rebels. PHOTOS. An armed pro-Russian miltiant checks ...

The head of the Passport Office denied it is in “chaos” as he admitted yesterday that the processing backlog had risen to 508,000 applications despite emergency measures put in place last month. Paul Pugh blamed a record and unexplained surge of ...

Revisiting the episode of abduction of girls by Boko Haram is quite horrific. It is beyond comprehension that the state of Nigeria and its allies are unable to rescue the 220 odd women still being held by the militants. But as the twist of turns would have some 63 ...

Al Shabab has carried out an armed assault on Somalia's presidential palace, penetrating the fortified complex. Security had been increased after al Shabab attacked the parliament building over the weekend. Mogadischu Somalia Regierungssoldaten Juli ...

When a group of national cricket boards grab so much of the global game's power and money that they become known as the Big Three, it puts a certain amount of pressure on the teams of those nations to live up to that billing on the pitch. So far, however, a ...

BBC cricket correspondent, Jonathan Agnew, took to the skies ahead of the start of England's Test series against India at Trent Bridge. The former cricketer, who got his pilot's licence eight years ago, flew above some of the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire ...

Abdullah's camp responded angrily, saying the result was invalid because it did not throw out all the fraudulent votes. Abdullah Abdullah gestures as he speaks during a press conference.- AFP. Afghan presidential contender Abdullah Abdullah's camp ...

Neymar may not be on the pitch for Brazil's World Cup semi-final against Germany, but he might be in the stands. Or, perhaps more accurately, lots of people who look a bit like him might be in the stands. In a move that is presumably designed to show support ...

A young British woman tried to smuggle cash in her underwear to fund jihadists fighting in Syria, a court has heard. Nawal Msaad, 27, was caught with the stash of 20,000 euro in rolled up notes as she prepared to board a flight to Istanbul from Heathrow, ...

An Afghan presidential candidate today made veiled threats of civil war as he claimed election results had been distorted by voter fraud. Abdullah Abdullah told thousands of supporters at a rally in Kabul he had been called by both Barack Obama and John ...

Gaza City: Five Palestinians were killed on Tuesday as Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza at the start of a new campaign against Hamas. It was the most serious flare-up in and around the territory since November 2012 and Palestinians across the country have ...

Michael Abbott, CEO of ISIS, at the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Photo by Manuel Blondeau/AOP Press via Corbis Close. Michael Abbott, CEO of ISIS, at the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Photo by... Read More. Close. Open.