Shigeru Aoki

Two candidates with identical names have defied voter confusion to both win election to Karatsu city council in southern Japan.

Both men are named Shigeru Aoki. There can be many ways to write a name in Japanese with the same pronunciation, but in this case the pair use the same Chinese characters, or kanji.

They could not even be distinguished by party, since both ran as independents.

Dump Trump

Thousands of people have joined protests in London and in cities around the UK against a controversial travel ban on seven mainly Muslim countries imposed by US President Donald Trump.

The ban bars citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Diplomats and Trump

Dozens of US diplomats around the world are set to formally criticise President Donald Trump's immigration restrictions, US media report.

Trump's State Visit To UK

Calls are being made to cancel a proposed state visit to the UK by President Trump after he issued an executive order clamping down on immigration to the US.

UK Dual Nationals and US Ban

The US border clampdown should not affect UK nationals travelling to the US, even if they were born in one of the countries on which restrictions have been placed, officials say.

But new guidance says those with dual nationality travelling from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen could face extra border checks.

Trump and Ban

The Trump administration is standing firm over its ban on immigration from seven countries despite court rulings and mass protests against it.

Trump and Refugees

Entry to the US for nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries has been stopped for 90 days by President Trump.

May, Trump and Refugees

Prime Minister Theresa May has refused to condemn President Donald Trump's ban on refugees entering the United States.

Lancaster and Refugees

Lancaster, Pennsylvania has taken 1,300 refugees since 2013 but the policy is still controversial.

Facebook and Hugo Barra

Facebook has hired Hugo Barra to lead its development of virtual reality products, following his departure from Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi.

Jo Stevens

Jo Stevens has quit as Jeremy Corbyn's shadow Welsh secretary after he forced Labour MPs to back the Article 50 bill.

Trump, May and Nato

US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May have reaffirmed their commitment to the Nato alliance after White House talks.

Trump and May

We can lead together again.

Artbox Thailand In Singapore

Most probably in April and May 2017.

Trump and Enrique Pena Nieto

Donald Trump has hit out at Mexico after its president announced he had cancelled next week's trip to the US.

The US president said meeting Enrique Pena Nieto would be "fruitless" if Mexico didn't treat the US "with respect" and pay for a new border wall.

Alexandra Shulman

British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman is to step down as editor-in-chief after more than 25 years in post.

Document on Brexit

Theresa May has announced the government will set out its Brexit plans in a formal policy document.

Trump and Border Wall

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order for a wall to be built along the southern US border with Mexico.

He also signed an action to strip funds from US cities that are sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants.

Gina Miller

The woman who brought the successful legal challenge against the government over Brexit has accused prominent politicians of behaving "despicably".

Gina Miller told the BBC they had "exacerbated" worries during and after the EU vote and failed to defend her and others with "legitimate concerns" about the process in the face of abuse.

Court, Parliament and Brexit

Parliament must vote on whether the government can start the Brexit process, the Supreme Court has ruled.

Trump and Oil Pipelines

US President Donald Trump has infuriated environmentalists by signing executive orders that support two controversial oil pipelines.

The new Republican president backed the Keystone XL and Dakota Access projects, provided American steel is used.

Cho Yoon-sun

South Korea's culture ministry has apologised for blacklisting of artists who were critical of the government of embattled President Park Geun-hye.

The ministry called the situation "distressing" and promised to co-operate fully with any investigation.

The move follows the arrest on Saturday of Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun.

Fallon and Trident

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has refused to divulge "operational details" of what happened during a Trident test last June.

It is reported that a missile went off course, but the government has not confirmed or denied this.

Trump and TPP

President Donald Trump has fulfilled a campaign pledge by signing an executive order to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Theresa May and Trident

Theresa May is coming under pressure to say whether she knew about a reported misfire of the UK's nuclear weapons system before a crucial Commons vote.

Pope and Populism

Pope Francis has warned against a rise in populism and the dangers of allowing political crises to usher in dictators like Hitler.

New Settlement Homes in East Jerusalem

Israel has approved hundreds of new settlement homes in occupied East Jerusalem, after the staunch pro-Israel US President Donald Trump took office.

UK Immigration For Australians

The UK has been told it will have to relax its immigration rules for Australians if it wants a free trade deal with Canberra.

Global Protests Against Trump

Thousands of protesters have taken part in a Women's March in London as part of an international campaign on the first full day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Marine Le Pen and Patriotism

French National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen has told a meeting of right-wing politicians in Germany that patriotism is the policy of the future.

China's Economy

China's economy grew by 6.7% in 2016, compared with 6.9% a year earlier, according to official data, marking its slowest growth since 1990.

Prince William

Prince William will leave his job as an air ambulance helicopter pilot in the summer as he takes on more royal duties, Kensington Palace says.

Donald Trump

Hundreds of thousands have gathered to show their support - and to protest - as Donald Trump is inaugurated as US president.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is undergoing a two week spring clean before it is re-opened to the public over the weekend.

Germany and Nato

Germany plans to boost defence spending by nearly €2bn (£1.7bn; $2.1bn) this year - but it will remain far short of the Nato target.

Mary Anne MacLeod

Donald Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis but emigrated to New York to live a very different life.

Corrie Mckeague

Missing airman Corrie Mckeague's membership of a swingers website is part of the police investigation into his disappearance.

The 23-year-old RAF gunner vanished after a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 24 September.

Lee Jae-yong

A court in South Korea is deliberating whether to issue an arrest warrant for Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong, who's been accused of bribery, embezzlement and perjury.

Mr Lee could be the first executive to be arrested in connection to a scandal which led to the impeachment of the country's President Park Geun-hye.

2016 Is Warmest

Temperature data for 2016 shows it is likely to have edged ahead of 2015 as the world's warmest year.

Data from Nasa and the UK Met Office shows temperatures were about 0.07 degrees Celsius above the 2015 mark.

More Expensive Vegetables

Bad weather in Italy and Spain is likely to significantly increase the price of vegetables across northern Europe, food suppliers and supermarkets have told the BBC.

Ivanka Majic

A woman from Brighton who was mistaken for Ivanka Trump on Twitter by none other than the US President-elect himself has told the BBC it has been a surreal start to the day.

Ivanka Majic, a digital consultant, said she and her husband were woken at 06:00 by calls from the media.

Theresa May and EU

Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all".

Fire Extinguisher in Phone Battery

Researchers have designed a lithium-ion battery that contains a fire-extinguishing material, which is released if the battery gets too hot.

Flame retardant triphenyl phosphate (TPP) sits inside a shell within the electrolyte fluid. The shell melts when the temperature reaches 150C (302F), releasing the chemical compound.

Boycott Inauguration

The number of Democratic members of Congress saying they will boycott Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday has increased to 26.

Many have cited as a reason the president-elect's recent attack on civil rights icon and fellow congressman John Lewis.

Trump and Nato

A statement by US President-elect Donald Trump that Nato is "obsolete" has caused "worry" in the alliance, Germany's foreign minister says.

Fake News on Facebook in Germany

Facebook is introducing new tools in Germany to help combat the spread of fabricated news stories.

The world's largest social network said it would enable German users to flag potentially false stories.

The stories will then be passed to third-party fact-checkers and if found to be unreliable, will be marked in users' news feeds as "disputed".

John Brennan and Trump

Outgoing CIA Director John Brennan has warned US President-elect Donald Trump to avoid off-the-cuff remarks once he takes office.

He said spontaneity was not in the interests of national security.

Mr Trump is known for regularly making broad pronouncements on issues of national importance on his Twitter feed.

Economic Model After Brexit

The UK may be forced to change its "economic model" if it is locked out of the single market after Brexit, Chancellor Philip Hammond has said.

Snow in Lauberhorn

A famous downhill race in the Skiing World Cup has been cancelled - because there has been too much snow.

Saturday's race at the Lauberhorn course in Wengen, Switzerland, was dropped after more than 40cm (16in) of snow fell overnight.

Kamiyah Mobley

The grandmother of a girl stolen more than 18 years ago as a newborn baby has described her "tears of joy" at discovering that she is alive and well.

Velma Aiken told the BBC it was a good feeling to know that Kamiyah Mobley was "all right and looking good".

John Lewis and Trump

Politicians, entertainers and others have come to the defence of a US civil rights campaigner, Congressman John Lewis, who has become embroiled in a row with President-elect Donald Trump.

Leaders and Spies

It is not unprecedented for political leaders to fall-out with spies. But a row has never before played out so publicly - with rival pronouncements over Twitter and in front of Congress.

Obamacare

The House of Representatives will hold a vote later on a plan to begin demolishing Obamacare, despite mounting qualms among Republicans.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran's new singles Shape of You and Castle On The Hill have entered the UK singles chart at number one and number two respectively.

The Official Charts Company says it is the first time in history an artist has taken the top two chart positions with brand new songs.

Dosa Burgers

If you are a fan of Indian food, you must have come across the hugely popular masala dosa, which is a type of rice pancake with a potato filling.

But have you ever imagined the classic dish in the form of a burger? No? Well, McDonald's is reportedly planning exactly that.

Reports say that "dosa burgers" may soon be sold at McDonald's outlets.

Snow in Southern UK

A blast of freezing weather swept across the UK, bringing disruption as commuters tried to get home.

Large parts of the UK have already been hit by heavy snow, which has now to started to affect southern areas, with warnings of snow and ice during last evening's rush hour.

James Mattis and Mike Pompeo

President-elect Donald Trump's nominees for defence secretary and spy chief have been taking aim at Russia during their Senate confirmation hearings.

General James Mattis, defence secretary nominee, warned Nato was under its biggest attack since World War Two.

Mike Pompeo, Mr Trump's pick to lead the CIA, said Moscow posed a threat in Europe and was "asserting itself aggressively" in Ukraine.

Rex Tillerson

It is a "fair assumption" that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind US election hacks, secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson has said.

Rolf Harris

Former entertainer Rolf Harris allegedly assaulted seven women and girls in a series of "brazen" attacks over a period of 30 years, a court has been told.

Trump and Phoney Stuff

US President-elect Donald Trump says allegations Russia has compromising material on him are "fake news, phoney stuff", put together by "sick people".

Mohd Faiz Subri

Malaysian football star Mohd Faiz Subri has taken home Fifa's prestigious Puskas Award for the best goal of 2016, a first for his country.

Jeremy Corbyn

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he stands by his view that immigration to the UK from the EU is not too high.

Jeff Sessions

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be the new attorney general has denied sympathising with the Ku Klux Klan, in a tough Senate confirmation hearing.

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, 69, also pledged to recuse himself from any investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Snow in UK

Temperatures across the UK are predicted to fall this week, bringing the possibility of snow in some areas.

Meteorologists say a cold front will reach Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday and hit the rest of the UK on Thursday, causing temperatures to fall.

Martin McGuinness

Martin McGuinness has resigned as Northern Ireland's deputy first minister in protest against the handling of a botched energy scheme that could cost taxpayers £490m.

Trump and Streep

US President-elect Donald Trump has hit back at Meryl Streep's criticism of him as she received a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes.

Tube Strike

Tube staff have gone on strike across the entire London Underground network in a row over ticket office closures.

Workers from the RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) unions are staging a 24-hour walk out.

UK and EU

The UK cannot expect to hold on to "bits" of its membership after leaving the EU, Theresa May has said.

White House and Family Business

US President Barack Obama says he has advised his successor Donald Trump not to attempt to run the White House "the way you would manage a family business".

Yegna

The government has axed plans to fund a five-member Ethiopian girl band, saying there are "more effective ways" to invest UK aid.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel reviewed the funding after reports that pop group Yegna had received millions from UK taxpayers.

Tube Workers

Transport for London has offered unions a "new" deal to try and stop a strike by Tube workers.

Trump and Fools

US President-elect Donald Trump has posted a series of tweets condemning those who oppose good relations with Russia as "'stupid' people, or fools".

Jamie Oliver

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is closing six of his 42 UK Jamie's Italian restaurants.

The Aberdeen, Cheltenham, Exeter, Tunbridge Wells and in London, the Ludgate and Richmond outlets are all scheduled to close soon.

US-Mexico Border

The US Congress is exploring ways to pay for a southern border wall, with payment to be sought from Mexico later.

President-elect Donald Trump made building a wall, paid for by the US neighbour, a central campaign pledge.

Trump-effect

Canadian universities have seen a rise in applications from US students since the election, school administrators say.

Visits to university websites also spiked in the weeks following the election.

Some attribute this rise to fears over Donald Trump's looming presidency.

Trump and Toyota

Donald Trump has tweeted that Toyota will face hefty tariffs on cars built in Mexico for the US market.

Washington Post Express

The Washington Post Express has apologised for an "embarrassing" mix-up on its front cover.

Leading with an article about a 150,000 strong women's rights march, the Express accidentally used a male symbol instead of a female symbol.

James Clapper

The US intelligence chief has promised to explain why Russia allegedly meddled in the US presidential election.

Director of National Intelligence General James Clapper said Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the hack of Democratic Party emails, and the motive will be revealed next week.

Snobbery Van Ban

A housing developer has been accused of "snobbery" for banning traders from parking vans outside their homes.

As reported by The Sun, a utility worker had planned to buy a Persimmon Homes property near Colchester.

But he pulled out after learning a clause in the contract meant he would not be able to park his van outside.

Tim Barrow

Senior diplomat Sir Tim Barrow has been appointed the UK's new ambassador to the EU, replacing Sir Ivan Rogers.

Fast Radio Bursts

They're one of the most persistent puzzles in modern astronomy.

As the name suggests, Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are short-lived - but powerful - pulses of radio waves from the cosmos.

Their brevity, combined with the fact that it's difficult to pinpoint their location, have ensured their origins remain enigmatic.

Ivan Rogers

The UK's ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, has resigned.

Sir Ivan, appointed to the job by David Cameron in 2013, had been expected to play a key role in Brexit talks expected to start within months.

Ford Motors and Flat Rock

Ford has said it will cancel a $1.6bn (£1.3bn) plant it planned to build in Mexico and instead extend operations at its factory in Michigan.

The US car giant will spend $700m on expanding the plant at Flat Rock.

Republicans and Ethics

Republicans are to drop a plan to gut the independent body that investigates political misconduct, after an outcry.

President-elect Donald Trump had criticised Republicans after they voted to strip the Office of Congressional Ethics of its independence.

Lawsuit Between Jamie Chua and Sharon Tang

What happened?

Lawsuit Between Jamie and Sharon

What happened?

Elbphilharmonie

The new architectural year begins with the opening of Hamburg’s long-awaited and dauntingly ambitious €798 million (£669 million) Elbphilharmonie, an operatic concert hall complex designed by the Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron.

Kathy Chen

The head of Twitter's China operations has left the firm after seven months in charge.

Kathy Chen announced she was leaving following a restructure of the business in Asia.

Chung Yoo-ra

The daughter of the woman at the centre of a presidential scandal in South Korea has been arrested in Denmark, say South Korean police.

Chung Yoo-ra, 20, is accused of staying in Denmark illegally, they said. They have requested her extradition.

New Pound Coin

The new 12-sided £1 coin will enter circulation on 28 March, the government has said.

The round £1 will be legal tender alongside the new, more-secure coin until 15 October.

The Queen

The Queen is feeling "better" despite missing a New Year's Day church service at Sandringham, her daughter the Princess Royal has said.

Expelled Diplomats

Thirty-five Russian diplomats expelled from the United States by President Barack Obama have left the country, Russian news agencies report.

Regina Ip

Regina Ip wants to become Hong Kong's most powerful politician - and she's not shy about it. The BBC's Helier Cheung profiles the straight-talking "Iron Lady" as part of a series on the Asian women likely to make the news in 2017.

Grizzly Steppe

An electrical company in the US state of Vermont says it has found malware code allegedly used by Russian hackers on one of its company laptops.

Welcome 2017

Celebrations have begun as people around the world ring in the New Year.

From Sydney to Pyongyang, festive crowds gathered to say goodbye to 2016, a tumultuous year in global politics.

Earlier, Auckland in New Zealand became the first major world city to welcome the New Year.