Google says the number of government requests for user data has gone up by 120% in the past four years - and calls for more transparency.

Facebook announces plans to use drones, satellites and lasers to connect the two-thirds of the world that doesn't have net access.

An appeals court in Venezuela rejects a bail application by one of the opposition leaders, Leopoldo Lopez, arrested more than a month ago.

Russia's Vladimir Putin telephones President Obama to discuss the Ukraine crisis and US diplomatic proposals.

A grenade attack on a funeral in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, has killed 11 people, the Red Cross says.

Dozens of people in Bolivia clash with police in a protest against the construction of a military anti-drugs base in a coca-growing area.

The UN Security Council condemns North Korea's recent launch of two ballistic missiles saying it is considering an "appropriate response".

Six million people have signed up for health insurance through President Barack Obama's signature healthcare overhaul programme, he tells supporters.