Reuters
Exodus film is box office gold in US and Canada
The biblical epic has knocked The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 into second place.
Israel prime minister seeks US veto on statehood for Palestine
Benjamin Netanyahu has called for America to block moves to recognise Palestine as a state.
Sydney Siege: Three dead, including gunman, police confirm
Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney cafe early on Tuesday morning and freed a number of hostages being held there at gunpoint.
Sydney Siege: Two killed, including gunman, says Australian media
Australian security forces opened fire on Tuesday as they stormed the Sydney cafe where several hostages were being held at gunpoint. Two are said to have been killed, including Man Haron Monis.
Palestinian UN statehood bid at heart of Kerry-Netanyahu talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before talks on Monday with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry he would defy any UN move to "dictate" a timeframe for withdrawal from land Palestinians seek for a state.
'We must negotiate with Islamic State' â senior mediator
When Padraig O'Malley says we must talk to Islamic State, he's speaking from experience.
Hostage taking in Sydney cafe sparks fears of Islamist-linked attack
Australian police locked down the centre of the country's biggest city on Monday after an armed man walked into a busy downtown Sydney cafe, took hostages and forced them to display an Islamic flag, igniting fears of a jihadist attack.
Religious tourism in Palestinian areas restricted by Israeli settlements
At a time when religious tourism should peak in Bethlehem, Palestinian officials say the tourist industry is hampered by Israeli settlements.
Philippines: Army and Maoist rebels agree truce for Pope's visit
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has suspended army operations against Maoist guerrillas for a month to mark Christmas and a visit by Pope Francis, the head of the military said on Monday.
Syrian army recaptures territory north of Aleppo in fierce fighting
Syria's army seized an area north of Aleppo on Sunday and killed insurgents as fierce battles raged over the strategic territory.
UN climate talks reach deal in Peru
The building blocks of a new-style global deal were agreed on Sunday amid warnings that far tougher action will be needed to limit increases in global temperatures.
Islamic State militants capture major town in surprise attack
Islamic State fighters stormed a town in Iraq's western Anbar province on Saturday, killing at least 19 policemen and trapping others inside their headquarters, officials said.
Britain to send hundreds more troops to Iraq, says defence secretary
Troops in the "very low hundreds" will be sent next month to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces in Iraq, Michael Fallon has said.
Thousands march in Washington for Congress action on police violence against African-Americans
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Washington on Saturday for a march to protest the killings of unarmed black men by law enforcement officers and to urge Congress to do more to protect African-Americans from unjustified police violence.
Thousands to storm Washington and New York today over police killings
Thousands of demonstrators are expected in Washington and New York on Saturday to protest the killings of unarmed black men by US police and to urge Congress to protect citizens.
Syria: Four men beheaded for blasphemy by Islamic State
Islamic State's self-declared police force in western Syria decapitated four men after accusing them of blasphemy, a rights group monitoring the Syrian conflict said on Saturday.