A spate of car bombs in Shiite areas of Iraq, including two blasts minutes apart at a popular bird market, killed at least 29 people on Friday, the latest in a spike in violence amid a political crisis.

Iran’s all-powerful supreme leader on Thursday rejected a US offer to negotiate one-on-one on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, ruling out such contacts so long as Washington keeps up its threats against the Islamic republic.

Two Russian fighter jets violated Japanese airspace on Thursday with Tokyo scrambling jets in response, the defence ministry said.

Rejuvenated batsman Phillip Hughes can be a key player for Australia in their four-Test series in India starting later this month, teammate Peter Siddle said on Thursday.

The producers of this year’s Oscars show said Monday they have no “big red button” to press in case boundary-pushing host Seth MacFarlane oversteps the mark.

A prominent Danish writer who heads a controversial group that claims free speech is under threat from Islam escaped an attempt on his life in Copenhagen, the police said.

French and Malian troops clashed with Islamist militants near the main northern Mali town of Gao, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today, speaking of “real war.”

Shane Watson hit a century on his return from injury and Phil Hughes cracked 86 as Australia scored a daunting 329 for seven in the third one-day international against the West Indies today.

A major 8.0 magnitude earthquake jolted the Solomon Islands today with small tsunami waves buffeting Pacific coastlines, leaving at least five people dead and dozens of homes damaged or destroyed.

The face of England’s King Richard III was revealed for the first time in more than 500 years on Tuesday following a reconstruction of his skeleton found underneath a carpark.