INTERNATIONAL

Russia should be banned from athletics competition, a World Anti-Doping Agency commission report has recommended. Wada’s independent commission examined allegations of doping, cover-ups, and extortion in Russian athletics, which also implicated the IAAF, the sport’s world governing body. It also wants five athletes and five coaches to get lifetime doping bans. The report also identified “systemic failures” in the IAAF ...

Inmates have lit fires at Australia’s Christmas Island detention centre in a “major disturbance” that is yet to be resolved, say government officials. The immigration department confirmed in a statement that guards had been withdrawn for “safety reasons”. Medical, educational and sporting facilities have been damaged. The statement denied a “large-scale riot” was taking place but said the situation at ...

Votes are being counted in Myanmar’s first openly contested national election for 25 years. Turnout is thought to have been 80% in the poll – seen as a further big step away from decades of military rule. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) is expected to win the most parliamentary seats, although she is barred from the ...

Voting is under way in Myanmar’s general election – the first openly contested poll in 25 years after decades of military rule. The ruling Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP), backed by the military, is one of the frontrunners. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) is expected to make large gains, although she is barred from running for ...

Sierra Leone has officially been declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (WHO). Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Freetown, at the stroke of midnight – marking 42 days without a single declared case of the disease. There were further cheers when the WHO local representative made the official announcement later on Saturday. The ...

The leaders of China and Taiwan have held historic talks in Singapore – their first in more than 60 years. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou shook hands at the start of the talks, which were seen as largely symbolic. China views Taiwan as a breakaway province which will one day be reunited with the mainland. But ...

Russia has ordered the suspension of all flights to Egypt following indications that the crash near Sharm el-Sheikh was caused by a bomb. President Vladimir Putin made the announcement after UK investigators said they believed a bomb was put in the plane’s hold prior to take-off, killing all 224 people on board. The UK has suspended flights to Sharm el-Sheikh ...

UK investigators looking at what caused a Russian airliner to crash in Egypt believe a bomb was put in the hold prior to take-off, the BBC has learned. The government decided terrorism was likely after receiving intelligence based on intercepted messages between militants in the Sinai peninsula. Britain suspended all flights to and from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh ...

Russia and Egypt have urged caution over suggestions that a Russian airliner that crashed in Sinai killing 224 passengers may have been bombed. Russia said such theories were “speculation”, while Egypt said there was “no evidence” yet to support them. US and UK officials say intelligence suggests the plane may have been bombed. The UK has suspended flights to and ...

Thousands joined a march in the Romanian capital Bucharest, hours after Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned over a deadly nightclub fire. The protesters, reported to be at least 30,000 strong, demanded early elections and further political reform. Rallies were also reported in other cities across the country. It came a day after some 20,000 demonstrators spontaneously took to the streets ...