James Graham, Ryan Hall and Sam Tomkins are nominated for the 2011 Golden Boot award along with Australians Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston.

The pan-Arab news network al-Jazeera launches a 24-hour television channel in the Balkans

The Japanese economy rebounds in the third quarter, growing for the first time since a devastating earthquake in March.

Three French aid workers, kidnapped in Yemen in May, have been released by their captors, the French authorities say.

A judge-led inquiry set up in the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal begins looking into the practices of the press.

A Russian spacecraft carrying three astronauts to the ISS is due to launch shortly, after a crash in August delayed manned space travel.

The UK labour market faces a "slow, painful contraction" with firms delaying recruitment of more staff, a key report suggests.

US President Barack Obama says China has not done enough to allow its currency to rise in value, speaking at a summit of Apec leaders.