INTERNATIONAL

US President Barack Obama has condemned the killing of US aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig as “an act of pure evil”. The Islamic State (IS) militant group released a video showing a masked man standing over a severed head, which the White House confirmed was Mr Kassig. His parents said he died “as a result of his love for the Syrian ...

Work has begun to remove wreckage from the MH17 crash site in rebel-held eastern Ukraine after months of delays, Dutch officials say. The Malaysian Airlines plane, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over Ukraine in July. All 298 people on board were killed. Workers could be seen cutting up parts of the plane and using ...

A video posted online claims to show that Islamic State militants have killed the captured US aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig. In the video, a masked militant stands over a severed head which he says is that of Mr Kassig. The US says it is working to determine the authenticity of the video, which also shows a mass killing of Syrian ...

The Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has brought the G20 summit to a close by detailing economic pledges agreed by the world leaders. He said the package, if implemented, would boost global economic growth over five years by 2.1% more than expected. Russian President Vladimir Putin left before the meeting officially ended. He faced fierce criticism from Western leaders over ...

US President Barack Obama has said that Asia’s security must not be based on intimidation where big nations bully small ones. Mr Obama told students in Brisbane, Australia – where he is attending the G20 summit – that security in the region must depend on mutual alliances. He said there was “no question” over US commitment to its Asia-Pacific allies. ...

British jihadists who fight abroad could be prevented from returning home under new powers outlined by the PM. David Cameron said the special exclusion orders – which could last for two years or more – would bar suspected fighters from entering the UK unless they agreed to strict controls. Officials would also have the power to stop would-be jihadists leaving ...

US President Barack Obama is to hold talks with Myanmar’s President Thein Sein, hours after accusing his government of backsliding on reforms. Mr Obama is in Naypyitaw for the East Asia summit, which follows Wednesday’s Asean meeting. In an interview with a Thai-based Burmese website ahead of his arrival, he said that progress had been made. But he said reform ...

Nato has seen Russian military equipment and Russian combat troops entering Ukraine this week, its top commander Gen Philip Breedlove says. Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg later urged Russia to pull back its forces. Russia’s defence ministry denied sending troops to eastern Ukraine to help pro-Russian separatists there. The European OSCE monitoring mission has warned of “a real risk” of further ...

China and the US have unveiled new targets on greenhouse gas emissions, as the leaders of the two countries met for talks in Beijing. US President Barack Obama said the move was “historic”, as he set a new goal of reducing US levels between 26%-28% by 2025, compared with 2005 levels. China did not set a specific target, but said ...

The captain of the South Korean ferry which sank in April has been found guilty of gross negligence and sentenced to 36 years in prison. The Sewol ferry was carrying 476 people when it went down. More than 300 died, most of them school students. Lee Joon-seok was among 15 crew members on trial over the sinking, one of South ...