Europe
Son search ends in Lockerbie grief
A WOMAN who decided to search for the son she gave up for adoption almost 50 years ago has discovered her only child was killed in the Lockerbie bombing.
Commuters undone by escalator falls
BURDENED with Christmas shopping, or over-indulged at the Christmas party? Best you don't take the escalator at the train station then, as this video shows.
Kiev mayor suspended over violence
UKRAINE has suspended Kiev's mayor and the deputy head of its security council after a brutal police crackdown on a pro-EU protest in the capital.
Six thousand Santas take to the streets
AROUND 6000 people dressed as Santa Claus and his elves have run a "mini-marathon" through the streets of Madrid to promote festive cheer.
Police slammed for festive rape poem
A POLICE force has been criticised after a bizarre attempt to reimagine a popular Christmas poem to be about sex attacks was branded "disgusting" and "insensitive".
Lipizzan horses put through paces
ELEGANT and disciplined, Lipizzan horses trot, pirouette and capriole with what seems like the greatest of ease.
Euthanasia OK for 'tired of living'?
MORE than one in five Dutch people believe that euthanasia should be allowed for elderly people who are "tired of living".
Driver blames crash on kicking baby
A HEAVILY pregnant driver who lost control of her car and ploughed into a cyclist said it happened becuase her unborn child "kicked me in the ribs several times and very hard."
Belfast bomb a 'reckless attack'
A BOMB has exploded on a footpath by a busy restaurant in Belfast - in a different location to one given in a telephone warning.
'Jews only good in the chimney'
ROMANIA is facing mounting outrage after a choir performed a Christmas carol on public television that said Jews should be burned in a chimney.
'Katie' waits to hear from Kiwi romeo
THE mystery woman at the center of a Facebook search launched by a lovelorn New Zealand man says she's waiting for the online romeo to get in touch.
Talk of abolishing Queen now legal
REPUBLICANS in Australia may sigh with relief after the UK repealed a 165-year law threatening jail for calling for the abolition of the monarchy in print.
'Black Widower' loses murder appeal
A MAN who murdered his wife in a staged car accident and tried to kill his second in a copycat crash has lost an appeal against his conviction.
Carer who 'poisoned' elderly 'not bad'
A CARE worker charged in the fatal poisonings of six pensioners is not a "bad person" and was traumatised by her mother's death, her uncle claims.
Stargazers ready for huge meteor shower
A SPECTACULAR light display is expected in the night sky as an annual meteor shower rains hundreds of meteors in to the Earth's atmosphere.
Eurovision winner leads Ukrainian protest
EVERY night on Kiev's Independence Square, Ukraine's Eurovision Song Contest winner Ruslana sings the Ukrainian national anthem, hand on heart.
Prisoner 'made to clean up miscarriage'
A WOMAN prisoner was reportedly forced to clean up after herself when she lost her baby during a miscarriage in her cell.
Nigella, Saatchi 'lied under oath'
ONE of the personal assistants accused of defrauding Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi has accused them of lying under oath as she gave evidence.
Violent man on run taunts police
A PRISONER jailed for attempted murder is on the run and is taunting police with Facebook images of himself having a good time.
'White powder regularly in Nigella's home'
A PERSONAL assistant charged with defrauding TV cook Nigella Lawson has told a court she regularly saw drugs littering the house of her former boss.
'Queen annoyed by nut-eating cops'
THE Queen was annoyed that police officers ate the nuts laid out for Buckingham Palace guests, a phone-hacking trial has heard.
Stars lend power to Ukraine protests
FROM George Clooney to Hayden Panettiere, celebrities are lending their support to the protest movement in Ukraine.
Pope: 'Poor treated like trash'
POPE Francis says 'rampant individualism' is fuelling a 'throw away' society that abandons the weak and poor.
Kidnappings jump at Christmas
TWO children are abducted by a parent and taken out of Britain every day, authorities said, warning kidnappings are expected to spike after Christmas.
Census 200 years late for Napoleon
BUNGLING workers in France sent out a national census letter to a very prominent citizen - one Napoleon Bonaparte.
Police crack down on Kiev protests
RIOT police move on protesters occupying Kiev's Independence Square as Ukraine's anti-government protests cripple the capital.
Hello Possum! It's an honour
BARRY Humphries has been honoured for 60 years of bringing his brand of Aussie larrikinism to British audiences.
Deadly crane collapse at Aldi store
ONE person has been killed and at least five others injured when a crane collapsed onto the checkout area of an Aldi supermarket.
Woman wins Scientology marriage fight
A WOMAN who wants to marry in a Church of Scientology chapel has won a battle in the UK's highest court.
Two Hirst paintings stolen from gallery
TWO Damien Hirst artworks together valued at 33,000 pounds ($60,000) have been stolen from a London art gallery.
Dolphins in deadly 'Hunger Games'
WE'VE all gone "aawww" at scenes of dolphins rescuing swimmers. But have diminished fish stocks and a violent youth culture led them to play their own Hunger Games?
Naked protesters try to crash Nobels
FOUR naked men tried to crash the Nobel ceremony in Stockholm overnight, in a bid to draw attention to a Chinese dissident.
Coffee drinkers pay it forward amid crisis
CAFES across Naples marked "Suspended Coffee Day'' overnight, spotlighting a remarkable tradition of social solidarity in the crisis-hit Italian city.
Floating car parks to ease traffic
ISTANBUL is planning to introduce floating car parks to try to resolve the chronic traffic problems of Turkey's largest city.
Pussy Riot may be pardoned
A PROPOSED amnesty could pardon jailed members of the Pussy Riot punk band and Greenpeace activists who are awaiting trial.
Riot police deployed near protest sites
UKRAINIAN police in riot gear have encircled tents and barricades erected by anti-government protesters as the country's president agreed to talks.
'I love al-Qaida', says killer
A MAN accused of the gruesome murder of a British soldier has said he loves al-Qaida and considers the Islamic militants his "brothers".
'Parents should be married': judge
COUPLES should not have children if they can’t "cope with the stresses and strains", an English High Court judge has said.
Fawcett auction items sell for $200,000
Sun Dec 15 22:06:12 EST 2013 PERSONAL items belonging to late actress Farrah Fawcett, including her iconic red swimsuit and passport, have fetched $US200,000 at auction.
Aussie held over alleged arson in Thailand
Sun Dec 15 19:16:15 EST 2013 AN Australian man has allegedly attacked a Thai man and set fire to three motorbikes in a dispute over the bike he rented.
Red-suited revellers hit NY bars
Sun Dec 15 18:33:43 EST 2013 THE costumed New York pub crawl known as SantaCon has seen thousands of red suited revellers partying in bars and the snowy streets.
Eight more dead in Bangladesh riots
Sun Dec 15 18:30:50 EST 2013 BANGLADESH police say Islamist supporters torched houses and fought running street battles with officers in towns and cities during a third day of unrest.
Son search ends in Lockerbie grief
Sun Dec 15 14:54:40 EST 2013 A US mother discovers the son she gave up for adoption died in the Lockerbie bombing just after his 21st birthday.
Mexico first for kidnappings
Sun Dec 15 13:30:45 EST 2013 THE security company Control Risk said 20 per cent of all kidnappings worldwide in the first half of 2013 occurred in Mexico.
Snowstorms in US
Sun Dec 15 12:18:15 EST 2013 A PRE-CHRISTMAS winter storm has blanketed a wide swath of the US northeast with a picturesque white layer of snow but caused travel chaos.
Ferry runs aground in Baltic Sea
Sun Dec 15 11:53:39 EST 2013 THE operator of a Finnish ferry that became stuck on rocks in the Baltic Sea says none of the almost 2000 passengers and crew on board have been injured.
Workout 'cuts festive food damage'
Sun Dec 15 11:19:14 EST 2013 RESEARCH shows just a few days of eating too much at Christmas and exercising too little can cause long-term effects on the body.
Protein may aid cancer treatment
Sun Dec 15 10:47:52 EST 2013 RESEARCH in the UK has raised hopes there may soon be available a vaccine to combat prostate cancer.
Macedonia mayor warns about air pollution
Sun Dec 15 10:03:15 EST 2013 SKOPJE'S mayor has warned pregnant women, children, the chronically ill and elderly people to stay at home because of air pollution.
90 UN peacekeepers died this year
Sun Dec 15 09:39:15 EST 2013 THE UN says 90 UN peacekeepers have died on the job this year while working at one of 15 missions.
Unschooled kids 'learn from games'
A MUM who is part of the "unschooling" movement says her children don't need school and are learning by playing video games and visiting the park.