Maksim Bakiyev faces extradition to the US, charged with conspiracy to defraud and perverting the course of justice

A Georgian woman who claimed to be 132-years-old - making her the world’s oldest human being ever - has died.

A superb study in the savagery of Soviet invasion and occupation of the Eastern bloc

How an Aylesbury doctor's idea to help injured servicemen recover from the Second World War spawned a festival of sport

A warplane that came down in an eastern province crashed because of a technical failure and its pilot ejected, according to state media, while rebels claim they shot it down and captured the pilot.

Four years on, the basketball narrative is much the same. The United States are again Olympic champions and Spain, while threatening that dominance, remain inferior. The US have now won men's gold at five out of the last six Games.

How to make friends by thawing the Ice Curtain

Mano Menezes knows how important this afternoon's final is. His players will take on Mexico for the gold medal in the men's football at Wembley at 3pm.

Tributes to designer of legendary British telescope and 'inventor' of modern astronomy

Syria's first man in space has fled to Turkey and joined opposition forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the latest in a string of high-ranking defections, Turkey's state-run news agency reported yesterday.

A quest for one of Europe's vanished states brings close encounters with past and present

There were so many tears at the women's team gymnastics final that spectators would have been forgiven for thinking they had bought tickets to the Aquatics Centre. Nevertheless, everyone was awed by the incredible performances from team USA. All, that is, except former Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut. The "Sparrow from Minsk", who won three gold medals in the 1972 Games, was asked by Gabby Logan whether we were seeing a golden era of gymnastics unfold. "No," replied Korbut, to laughs in the studio. "This is era going down. We need to find new Olga to change to more beautiful gymnastics."

Michael Phelps tonight became the most decorated Olympian of all-time after claiming a silver and a gold at the Aquatics Centre.

Forget boxing – London 2012's most violent discipline is staged in the pool