More than five million North Koreans have so far turned out to pay their respects to late leader Kim Jong-il, state media say.

An Ethiopian court convicts two Swedish journalists of supporting terrorism after they were captured during a clash with rebels.

European Union plans for an emissions tax on airlines are valid, says the European Court of Justice, despite objections from US and Chinese carriers.

At least 15 civilians have been killed in air raids by Kenyan forces on an Islamist-controlled village in southern Somalia, witnesses tell the BBC.

A roadside bomb kills five Polish soldiers in a Nato convoy in Afghanistan, Poland's heaviest loss of life since the mission began.

All the regional groupings on the UN Security Council condemn Israeli settlement activities in occupied Palestinian territories, in a surprise move.

Frankincense - a traditional staple of the Christmas story - faces an uncertain future, according to researchers.

At least 12 people, including five Senegalese soldiers, are killed after suspected rebels attack an army base in the southern region of Casamance.