International

(BBC) Iraqi forces are advancing into the centre of Ramadi, after launching a major assault to drive Islamic State militants from the city, officials say. Security sources told the BBC that troops and allied tribesmen, backed by US-led air…

(BBC) A grand jury has decided not to indict anyone in the case of Sandra Bland, who died in a Texas jail earlier this year. The jury ruled that neither sheriff's officials nor jailers committed a crime in their treatment of Bland. It has…

(BBC) Twelve Australian families have lost their homes to bushfires near Melbourne, days ahead of Christmas. Fire authorities are also warning of dangerous hot and windy conditions on Christmas and Boxing Day. Crews were still tackling a…

(BBC) A group of Kenyan Muslims travelling on a bus ambushed by Islamist gunmen protected Christian passengers by refusing to be split into groups, according to eyewitnesses. They told the militants "to kill them together or leave them…

(BBC) At least one person has died and 36 have been injured after a car ran down pedestrians in front of a hotel in Las Vegas, officials said. Police say they believe the crash was intentional but terrorism has been ruled out. The vehicle…

(BBC) World powers are meeting in New York to try to move forward a tentative plan to bring about a ceasefire in Syria. Countries on both sides of the conflict are seeking to narrow considerable gaps which stand in the way of progress.…

(BBC) US forces flown to Libya to support government troops had to leave after landing because of demands from a local militia group, US officials say. It follows reports that 20 US special forces troops, equipped with advanced weaponry,…

(BBC) A friend of one of the San Bernardino attackers has been charged in connection with the mass shooting that killed 14. Enrique Marquez, 24, is the first person arrested over the deadliest terrorist attack in the US since 9/11. Mr…

On December 12, 2015, Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen and Minister of the Coast Guard Administration Wang Chung-yi, together with officials from the Ministries of Transportation and Communications, Science and Technology, Economic…

(BBC) A judge in Brazil has ordered that a suspension of the popular messaging application WhatsApp be lifted. Judge Xavier de Souza said the service should be re-instated immediately. A court had ordered the service be suspended for 48…

(BBC) IMF chief Christine Lagarde is to stand trial in France for alleged negligence over a €404m ($438m; £294m); payment to a businessman in 2008. She was finance minister in President Nicolas Sarkozy's government at the time of the…

(BBC) China has summoned a senior US envoy in protest after Washington announced it would sell two warships to Taiwan. Vice-Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang made "solemn representations" with Kaye Lee, the US charge d'affaires, China's…

The US and Russia say world powers will meet in New York on Friday to pass a UN resolution endorsing the Syria peace process. It follows talks in Moscow between US Secretary of State John Kerry, his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and…

(BBC) Shia Muslims are protesting in six northern Nigerian cities against a military crackdown they allege has left hundreds of their members dead. Many businesses have shut in Kaduna, one of the cities worst-affected by the…

(BBC) Los Angeles schools have been closed as an unspecified threat emailed to the school district is being investigated. The threat against the second largest school system in the US led to 640,000 pupils being told to stay away, while…