Southampton's Virgil van Dijk will join Liverpool on 1 January for £75m - a world record for a defender.

Garry Monk says he was "surprised" by Middlesbrough's decision to remove him as manager after their win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Singer Joy Villa files charges against the president's former campaign manager.

One of the strangest ways to win promotion? Deportes Melipilla move up to Chile's second tier in controversial circumstances.

The scout that helped bring Virgil van Dijk to Celtic tells BBC Sport about comparisons with Rio Ferdinand - and how far the Dutch defender can go.

President Putin describes the explosion at a popular store in St Petersburg as a terrorist act.

Second seed Peter Wright is out of the PDC World Darts Championship by losing to Welshman Jamie Lewis.

Manchester City move 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League as Raheem Sterling scores the only goal in a dominant display away at Newcastle.

Adam Rooney's lone strike sees Aberdeen narrow the gap on leaders Celtic to eight points with victory over Partick Thistle.

The magnolia tree has survived 39 presidencies but will be cut back due to decay.

The sheriff's deputy in Utah smashed ice and plunged in to save the boy on Christmas Day.

World Para-athletics champion amputee sprinter Sophie Kamlish says she does not want to be known as the next "Blade Babe".

Young women tell the BBC about their experiences of sexual harassment in our biggest ever survey.

Karim lost an eye when artillery shells struck a market in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area.

Adopted as a baby by a Canadian family, Judith Morency returned to Haiti to find her parents.

Mofiz Uddin has welcomed scores of Rohingya onto his land in Bangladesh.

Children from slums in Kenya are being given expandable shoes for their growing feet.

With the help of locals, a multinational team of scientists discovers unknown species in Guyana.

Jasmeen Patheja's collection is a testament to the fact victims are not to blame.

Worried about the impact of screens on your child's eyesight? Get them outdoors, say doctors.

Our pick of Africa's quirkiest stories this year.