Top seed Andy Murray showed no mercy to doubles partner Marcos Baghdatis today as he cruised to a 6-2 6-2 victory in the quarter-finals of the ATP Brisbane International.

The West is turning a blind eye to a worsening human rights situation in one of the world's most repressive dictatorships, according to a report released yesterday.

What makes this so heart-warming is the fact that this young Uzbek singer has turned her back on global pop and returned to her musical roots.

The chairman of Bell Pottinger's parent group has launched an internal investigation after this week's controversy about the lobbying company.

Bell Pottinger suggested that a minimum age for child labour could improve Uzbekistan's reputation

Lord Bell last night sought to answer questions about Bell Pottinger's audit trail for the company's work in Belarus, after one of his most senior executives cast doubt on who had been paying for its work in Europe's last dictatorship.

Policy influenced 'where we think they have legitimate concerns'

Senior executives at Bell Pottinger claimed they could arrange meetings with the Business Secretary's special adviser on behalf of a client.

Bell Pottinger boasted of its "links" to the Royal Family to potential clients representing a brutal central Asian dictatorship and suggested that it might be able to organise a royal tour of the country on their behalf.

Exposed: Public relations firm's dealings with some of the world’s most controversial regimes

Britain is gaining a reputation as an international centre of image laundering, with the lack of regulation meaning that PR companies can represent the most repressive regimes without public scrutiny.

Over-zealous North Korean customs officers may have contributed to Japan's first defeat under Italian Alberto Zaccheroni earlier this week after confiscating his favourite tube of wasabi.

Japan squeezed past North Korea 1-0 yesterday with a dramatic injury-time winner in a politically charged World Cup qualifier spared the full fury of a powerful approaching typhoon.

The ludicrous reality of four recognised world sanctioning bodies operating inside the boxing business will become even crazier tonight when Russia's Alexander Povetkin and Ruslan Chagaev of Uzbekistan fight for the World Boxing Association's vacant heavyweight title in Germany.