INTERNATIONAL

Two heavily armed suspects – one male and one female – have been killed by police after a mass shooting in California left 14 people dead. Police confirmed that the suspects were armed with assault rifles and handguns and wearing “assault-style clothing”. Hours earlier, the gunmen opened fire during a holiday party at a San Bernardino community centre. Up to ...

David Cameron is making the case for air strikes against IS in Syria, saying the aim is to “keep the British people safe” from terror attacks. He faced calls to apologise for reportedly saying opponents of action were “terrorist sympathisers”. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the comment “demeans the office of prime minister”. The PM declined to apologise, but said ...

Fresh rains in the southern Indian city of Chennai have caused serious flooding, with flights and trains suspended and hundreds of people without power. The army has been deployed to rescue thousands of stranded people after two days of heavy rains. At least 188 people are now known to have died in floods in Tamil Nadu state since last month. ...

MPs will decide later whether to back UK air strikes in Syria against militants from so-called Islamic State. A 10-hour House of Commons debate will culminate in a vote on whether the UK should join the US, France, Russia and others bombing targets in Raqqa, the group’s stronghold, and other areas. UK Prime Minister David Cameron says IS is a ...

Faulty equipment was a “major factor” in the AirAsia plane crash last December that killed all 162 people on board, Indonesian officials say. The plane’s rudder control system malfunctioned four times during the flight – a fault that occurred 23 times in the preceding year, officials said. Their report added that the crew’s response contributed to the disaster. The Airbus ...

Turkey has challenged Russia to prove its claim that Ankara shot down a Russian plane in order to protect its oil trade with Islamic State (IS). “If you allege something you should prove it,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. He was responding to the accusation by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also said last week’s downing of the plane ...

US President Barack Obama has said the UN climate conference in Paris could be a “turning point” in global efforts to limit future temperature rises. Negotiators from 195 countries will try to reach a deal within two weeks aimed at reducing global carbon emissions and limiting global warming to 2C (3.6F). Leaders from 147 nations are addressing the meeting, known ...

Pope Francis is due to visit a mosque in the capital of the Central African Republic in what is being seen as the most difficult part of his Africa tour. The Pope will meet Muslims who have sought shelter in Bangui after nearly three years of violence between Christians and Muslims. Most Muslims have left the capital but 15,000 are ...

A critical UN conference aimed at agreeing a new global approach to climate change is set to open in Paris. The meeting, known as COP21, will see negotiators from 195 countries attempt to finalise a new treaty over the next two weeks. Political leaders from 147 countries will address the conference throughout Monday. But the poorest countries say they fear ...

Voting is under way in Burkina Faso to elect a new president and parliament after a year of political turmoil. It is the first election since last year’s popular uprising which toppled longstanding president Blaise Compaore. Security is tight with up to 25,000 troops expected to be deployed across the country. The vote was due to have been held last ...