Terror group has confirmed it’s readiness to free US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who has been held captive since 2009

Senior spokesman for insurgent group says 'We want to build bridges of confidence'

President Hamid Karzai also suspends talks with US on its military presence in after Nato leaves in 2014

Male statues had their genitalia covered with black cloths by authorities

John Kerry’s decision to make London the first destination for an official visit as the new US Secretary of State was seen as a matter of kudos by the British government. And today, on arrival, the former presidential candidate spoke of his determination to reaffirm the “special relationship”.

Living up to her reputation as a Wimbledon champion has not always been easy for Petra Kvitova, but there have been signs in the last fortnight that the 22-year-old Czech is recapturing the form that took her to within two victories of becoming the world No 1 at the start of last year.

American returns to the top of the rankings

If it's Monday it must be Dubai. The United Arab Emirates is the latest destination in Laura Robson's whistle-stop tour of the Middle East and the 19-year-old Briton will break new ground here tonight when she makes her debut in the Dubai Duty Free Championships.

Justin Rose is now the world number four

British No 1 has arrived in peak condition for Grand Slam where fitness counts most

The brief Christmas which he enjoyed back in a soggy and windswept Britain must feel like a distant memory to Andy Murray. The world No 3 has already made his first appearance of the season, in the warmth of the Middle East, and now he is preparing for his second, in the searing heat of Australia's Sunshine State of Queensland.

Christopher Monckton, a UK Independence Party activist and dogged critic of the environmentalist movement, has been turned out of an international climate change conference in Qatar after posing as a delegate.

Winter is the ideal time to visit this grand Mississippi city, with its miraculously preserved French Quarter and diverse, delicious flavours

Amid the political horse trading, politicians ignore climate change at their peril

The searing heat of summer has mellowed in the Gulf states, making this Emirati city an appealing choice for some winter sun, says Nick Boulos