Middle East
Snow blankets Israel as Gaza flooded
THE heaviest snowfall in decades has blocked roads across Israel and the West Bank, while torrential rains have flooded areas of the Gaza Strip.
Iran says it has arrested 'MI6 spy'
IRAN says it has arrested a man who has allegedly confessed to working with Britain's M16 spy agency.
Iran 'sends monkey into space'
EYEBROWS have been raised over Iran's claim that it has sent a monkey into space - for the second time.
Snow in Cairo first time in 112 years
SNOW has fallen in the Egyptian capital of Cairo for the first time in more than 100 years, as a powerful storm system struck parts of the Middle East.
UN confirms Syria used chem weapons
A UN report has concluded chemical weapons were used at least five times before Syria agreed to dismantle its arsenal.
Drone 'misfire' kills 13 at wedding
MISSILES fired by a US drone slammed into vehicles travelling to a wedding in central Yemen yesterday, killing at least 13, in a repeat of a similar tragedy last year.
One-way ticket for Israeli Arabs
THE parents of Arab Israelis fighting in Syria are proud of the young men for aiding fellow Muslims in need, but worry their children may never make it home.
Saddam Husseins say name is a curse
THE many men named after Saddam Hussein say their famous name, once give in tribute, has turned into a curse in today's Iraq.
Man beheaded for incest
SAUDI authorities have beheaded a man convicted of incest, citing a saying attributed to Prophet Mohammed that stipulates death for the act.
How to start your car with a gun
WHY reach for your mucky old jumper leads if the car won't start, when a friendly cop toting a Kalashnikov does the job just as well?
Mandela funeral 'may be a trap'
NELSON Mandela's funeral could be a "trap" to get Iran's president to meet the "head of the Great Satan government" Barack Obama, a newspaper has warned.
Iran pres sports baseball cap for hike
IRANIAN President Hassan Rouhani has been photographed hiking in the mountains outside Tehran, his black turban replaced by a baseball cap.
Female protesters released from jail
AN EGYPTIAN appeals court has ordered 14 women jailed after a protest to be freed, as seven girls were also ordered released.
Nuns appear in video, deny kidnap
A GROUP of nuns from the historic Christian town of Maalula in Syria have denied in a video broadcast that they were kidnapped by rebels.
Syria's chemical weapons munitions cull
THE international chemical weapons watchdog says it has verified the destruction of all of Syria's unfilled munitions.
Suicide bomber, gunmen kill 15
A SUICIDE bomber detonated his explosives-laden car at Yemen's Defense Ministry, killing 15 soldiers and wounding at least 40 people.
Commando raid caught on camera
WATCH: This is the moment commandos, dangling unseen above an apartment balcony, made their move to rescue a four-year-old girl.
Militants storm Iraq mall, six dead
A MASSIVE attack on a shopping mall in northern Iraq was the deadliest in a day of violence that killed nine people nationwide.
Hezbollah leader assassinated in Beirut
HEZBOLLAH says one of its top leaders has been killed by Israel, at a time of soaring tensions in Lebanon linked to the war in neighbouring Syria.
Arafat widow convinced he was poisoned
THE widow of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is still convinced he was poisoned, even after French experts ruled out the theory.
Arafat poisoning 'ruled out'
FRENCH experts have ruled out a theory that Yasser Arafat was killed by poisoning, a source close to the investigation says.
Abbas threatens Israel with UN
PRESIDENT Mahmud Abbas has warned the Palestinians will take action against Israel through international bodies if peace talks fail.
'Rebel fighters abduct 12 nuns'
REBEL fighters have abducted 12 nuns from a village near Damascus, the mother superior of a Syrian convent says.
Syrian rebels hit army with 'tyre bombs'
SYRIA rebels have moved into the centre of the historic town of Maalula after sending explosive-filled tyres hurtling down on security forces.
Cops don't like Ayatollah on Facebook
IRAN'S police chief is angry that government ministers - and perhaps even the Ayatollah - are using Facebook despite an official ban.
Cafe owners taught how to stop bombers
AS VIOLENCE in Iraq worsens, security officials have held an unusual seminar for cafe owners - how to stop a suicide bomber.
Egypt minister questions protest ban
A TOP Egyptian official has criticised a controversial new protest law that bans all unauthorised demonstrations, saying it should be reviewed.
Surge in Iraq clashes leaves 51 dead
A WAVE of violence on Friday killed 51 people in Iraq, most of whom were kidnapped and shot dead with their corpses abandoned.
Earthquake near nuclear plant kills seven
AT least seven people have been killed and 30 injured following a 5.7 magnitude earthquake on the Gulf coast near Iran's sole nuclear power plant on Thursday.
Watchdog says no Iran nuclear deal yet
THE UN nuclear watchdog has revealed it wasn't ready to verify Iran's compliance as Tehran invited inspectors to the key Arak site.
Syria exodus reaches over three million
THE number of Syrians who have fled the country has surpassed three million, as the UN appeals for support to help host countries cope with the influx.
Captive for 2456 days with no end in sight
THIS man, a retired FBI agent named Robert Levinson, is now the longest-held American hostage in history. He was abducted in Iran 2456 days ago.
Archaeologists find 10,000 year old house
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered a 10,000 year old house near Jerusalem showing "evidence of man's transition to permanent dwellings."
Moment a bomb explodes near kids
THESE children are speaking about their experiences in war-torn Syria when a rocket explodes just centimetres away. Dramatic footage.
Nuke deal may lower petrol prices
OIL prices may head lower after a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, even though it does not loosen Iran's oil sanctions.
Syria to hold civil war peace talks
SYRIAN government and opposition negotiators will meet for the first time since start of the country's 32 month-old war on January 22.
Saudi woman's fight to marry her Romeo
A YOUNG Saudi woman has urged a Yemeni court to let her stay and marry the man she loves, defying norms in both deeply conservative countries.
Syria: More than 11,000 kids killed
More than 11,000 children have died in Syria's civil war in two years, including hundreds targeted by snipers, a new report says.
Gamble on secret talks led to nuke deal
THE US and Iran secretly engaged in a series of high-level, face-to-face talks over the past year, in a high-stakes diplomatic gamble.
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.
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'Tomb raiders' re-open Pyramid fight
TWO German students have damaged ancient writing in the Great Pyramid in order to "prove" the structure is far older than generally accepted.