The Islamist group Ansaru says it kidnapped a French engineer in Nigeria last week, in revenge for France's "stance on Islam".

Gunmen ambush and shoot dead four policemen and injure another five in central Mexico's Michoacan state, in a suspected drug-related attack.

Indian PM Manmohan Singh appeals for calm in the capital, Delhi, following a weekend of violent protests over the gang rape of a student.

Egypt is set to announce the official results of a referendum on a controversial draft constitution, amid claims by the opposition of voting fraud.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India on a trip aimed at strengthening military and trade ties.

A US military adviser is killed at police headquarters in Kabul, in the first such "insider" attack by a female member of Afghanistan's security forces.

The Queen is to pay tribute to the nation's Olympic and Paralympic athletes for inspiring all who watched their achievements, in her Christmas broadcast.

Medics use an unconventional treatment to save a man from life-threatening heart problems - a shot of neat alcohol to the heart