Smiley faces and rough tactics at lawyer's trial
Philip Wen 3:55 PM Prominent lawyer Pu Zhiqiang faced trial in Beijing on Monday, as police and plain-clothes security officials manhandled foreign media trying to cover the event.
Top world stories
After arrest, scrutiny on foreign teachers
Lindsay Murdoch 1:19 PM Thai authorities have ordered urgent background checks on foreign teachers after convicted paedophile Peter Dundas Walbran was discovered teaching in north-eastern Thailand.
Children killed in air strikes on Syrian school
Sylvia Westall 11:50 AM Intense air and missile strikes on a school district near Damascus killed dozens of people on Sunday, including children, according to an independent monitoring group and local rescue workers.
Trump labels rival 'a maniac'
Doina Chiacu and Sarah N. Lynch 4:59 AM Republican presidential front-runner had a new target on Sunday, calling Ted Cruz "a little bit of a maniac" as the US senator surpassed him in an Iowa poll.
Why a contested convention would be big deal
Nick O'Malley 1:42 PM Since 1976, the Republican Party has had a clear front runner well before the convention, which the party then runs as a weeklong PR event for the nominee.
Thai media stand up for fugitive top policeman
Lindsay Murdoch 11:17 AM In a country where ruling generals deal harshly with critics, Paween Pongsirin has won backing after claiming that "influential people" are implicated in human trafficking.
Latest world news
French teacher attacked by man claiming Islamic State link
7:05 PM A hooded man claiming to be acting for the Islamic State group attacked a nursery school teacher with a knife.
Egypt says no evidence of terrorism in Russian plane crash
6:16 PM Egypt says it has found no evidence so far of terrorism or other illegal action linked to the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Sinai that killed all 224 people on board.
Smiley faces and rough tactics on display as China puts lawyer on trial
Philip Wen 3:55 PM Prominent lawyer Pu Zhiqiang faced trial in Beijing on Monday, as police and plain-clothes security officials manhandled foreign media trying to cover the event.
Twenty female candidates win election in Saudi Arabia local balloting
Kate Linthicum 12:54 PM At least 20 Saudi women emerged victorious in Saturday's historic local elections, in which women were allowed to cast votes and run for office for the first time.
Powers back unity government in Libya to deter Islamic State
Lesley Wroughton 12:45 PM Global powers have pledged economic and security support to help stabilise Libya, where Islamic State militants have a foothold.
Nicholas Robertson was firing a gun when shot by deputies, police say
Ian Lovett, Adam Nagourney 11:39 AM A man who was killed by sheriff's deputies in a hail of 30 bullets in front of a petrol station in southern California was brandishing a gun at officers and passersby, and he apparently fired it into the air at least six times during the encounter, police say.
Nigerian forces arrest Shiite sect leader
Garba Muhammad 9:53 AM Nigerian troops arrested the leader of a minority Shi'ite Muslim sect and killed his deputy and chief spokesman in raids on his house and other buildings on Sunday, the group said, a day after shooting dead seven others in a clash in the northern city of Zaria.
Russian warship fires warning shots at Turkish ship in Aegean Sea
4:27 AM The Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed one of its warships, the destroyer Smetlivy, fired warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean Sea.
Fears Burundi may slide into civil war as death toll rises
1:16 AM Nearly 90 people were killed during Friday's clashes in the Burundian capital, the army said, the worst outbreak of violence in Burundi since a failed coup in May.
Ecuador-Sweden deal paves way for Assange to be questioned
Alexandra Valencia 11:46 PM Ecuador and Sweden have signed a pact that would allow WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to be questioned by Swedish authorities at Ecuador's embassy in London.
UK officers watched my torture: British resident held in Guantanamo Bay
11:10 PM The last British resident to be held at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay has told a newspaper that British security officers witnessed him being tortured by American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Plans to boost EU border force powers face resistance from member states
Alastair Macdonald 10:46 PM A proposal to give the EU's executive the power to order border protection forces into member states to defend the common European frontier will face resistance when it is published this week.
Saudi women vote, 'win office' for the first time
Aya Batrawy Women across Saudi Arabia marked a historic milestone, both voting and running as candidates in government elections for the first time, with at least seven reportedly winning seats on local councils.
NT embraces Chinese chief as 'honorary Territorian'
Philip Wen The rest of Australia and even the US might not feel the same way about selling out a strategically crucial port to the Chinese, but the Northern Territory's Chief Minister is lauding the Landbridge Group's leadership as "a good friend, a brother and a good partner".
Paris accord is a big win for Obama
Steven Mufson On an unseasonably mild December day in Washington, President Obama had reason to bask in the sun.
La Force soit avec vous, says Harrison Ford's French voice
Julien Oeuillet When the new Star Wars movie comes out, French-speaking people will be welcoming back a very familiar voice.
Colombia, Spain row over sunken treasure of San Jose
Spain and Colombia are at odds over who owns billions of dollars in gold and silver from the 18th century shipwreck of the San Jose.
HONY, Edward Norton fundraise for refugee scientist's new life in USA
Georgina Mitchell A Syrian refugee has a chance at a new life after social media and a Hollywood star banded together to raise $100,000 in an hour to help him settle in the US and get urgent medical treatment.
Thousands march against Polish government as constitutional spat drags on
Wiktor Szary and Pawel Florkiewicz Tens of thousands marched through Warsaw on Saturday to protest against what they called the "democratorship" of the month-old conservative government, as Poland remained locked in a constitutional crisis.
France plans to protect Banksy mural of Steve Jobs in Calais camp
Pierre Savary British graffiti artist Banksy has created three murals in Calais, highlighting the migrant issue.
