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Eastern Europe is boosting military budgets, but US is still the big spender
McDonald's franchise workers denied pay raise to join 200-city protest
Chinese export fall raises growth fears - live
Sudan activists call for mass boycott of presidential election
'The west is wrong to write off Ukraine's debts'
Hillary Clinton begins presidential push with Iowa visit
Kanye West hurls himself into lake on Armenian genocide anniversary trip – video
Iran likely to press Australia to ease sanctions on petrochemical trade
Camera-makers focus on adapting to smartphones’ market surge
Sustainable development won't happen without the means to implement it
Hezbollah defendants at large but journalists in dock at UN tribunal
Irish voters keep campaigners guessing as gay marriage referendum nears
From the archive, 13 April 1985: Book about convent sex bursts on US
China's coal imports fall nearly half in 12 months as anti-pollution drive bites
Iran's bathhouses washing away with time – in pictures
Remi's Ode to Ignorance: Australian racism in line of fire for Melbourne hip-hop act – video premiere
Islamic State militants claim attacks on embassies in Libya
Australian fashion week 2015: Gemma Ward returns to open Ellery show – video
Toddler shoots and kills one-year-old boy in Cleveland, Ohio
Car chased by Queensland police spins out of control and bursts into flames - video

Eastern Europe is boosting military budgets, but US is still the big spender

Posted: 13 Apr 2015 01:15 AM PDT

Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are planning dramatic increases to arms spending, but they remain vulnerable to economic pressures, says thinktank

McDonald's franchise workers denied pay raise to join 200-city protest

Posted: 13 Apr 2015 01:00 AM PDT

After McDonald's announced raises for workers at company-operated locations, it is facing a backlash from those at 12,500 franchisee-operated restaurants

Chinese export fall raises growth fears - live

Posted: 13 Apr 2015 12:49 AM PDT

Sudan activists call for mass boycott of presidential election

Posted: 13 Apr 2015 12:48 AM PDT

Police outnumber voters as Omar al-Bashir seeks re-election in poll that opposition parties will sit out and EU says cannot produce credible result

Political activists in Sudan are campaigning for an unprecedented mass boycott of Monday's general election, denouncing it as "a political charade".

President Omar al-Bashir - the world's only sitting leader wanted on genocide charges - is set to extend his 26-year rule in polls which rebels are threatening to sabotage, major opposition parties intend to sit out and the European Union warns will lack credibility.

'The west is wrong to write off Ukraine's debts'

Posted: 13 Apr 2015 12:40 AM PDT

It's easy to feel sorry for a country crippled by war and corruption – but dismissing past debts is not the way to help, say Alexander Lebedev and Vladislav Inozemtsev

Hillary Clinton begins presidential push with Iowa visit

Posted: 13 Apr 2015 12:16 AM PDT

After announcing her decision to seek the Democratic nomination, Clinton will visit state whose initial lack of support undermined her entire campaign in 2008

Hillary Clinton has begun a tour of key states in her campaign to become US president following her announcement that she intended to make a second attempt at becoming the country's first female commander-in-chief.

The former US senator, secretary of state and first lady tweeted that she was leaving for Iowa, the first US state to vote when the primary elections to choose each party's candidate begin early next year.

Road trip! Loaded the van & set off for IA. Met a great family when we stopped this afternoon. Many more to come. -H pic.twitter.com/5Va7zeR8RP

Kanye West hurls himself into lake on Armenian genocide anniversary trip – video

Posted: 13 Apr 2015 12:13 AM PDT

Rapper Kanye West has thrown himself in a lake in the Armenian city of Yerevan. Fans at the free outdoor concert being performed by West said that they hoped the visit by him and his wife, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, would help promote awareness of the Armenian genocide in 1915. The visit of the US couple was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the genocide. Kardashian is of Armenian descent Continue reading...

Iran likely to press Australia to ease sanctions on petrochemical trade

Posted: 13 Apr 2015 12:06 AM PDT

Sanctions expected to be on the table when Australian foreign minister visits Iran this week to lobby for forced repatriation of failed asylum seekers

Camera-makers focus on adapting to smartphones’ market surge

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 11:30 PM PDT

The rise of smartphones has hit sales of top of the range cameras, but Sony is looking at the bigger picture Continue reading...

Sustainable development won't happen without the means to implement it

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 11:00 PM PDT

In July, governments will convene to discuss how the sustainable development agenda will be paid for. They must be held to account for the pledges they make

Hezbollah defendants at large but journalists in dock at UN tribunal

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 11:00 PM PDT

Suspects tried in absentia in The Hague for murder of Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri, while broadcaster accused of contempt of court may face years in jail

Irish voters keep campaigners guessing as gay marriage referendum nears

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 10:30 PM PDT

Polls put the yes campaign ahead, but proponents fear the public may spring yet another shock defeat on the Dublin elite

From the archive, 13 April 1985: Book about convent sex bursts on US

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 09:30 PM PDT

A controversial book sets out to break the historic silence about erotic love between women in religious life

China's coal imports fall nearly half in 12 months as anti-pollution drive bites

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 09:05 PM PDT

A slowing economy and tougher environmental checks to curb chronic air pollution problems are behind the 42% drop in imports

Iran's bathhouses washing away with time – in pictures

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 09:00 PM PDT

Hammams – communal spaces for washing, massage and debate – may soon disappear as interest in them wanes

Remi's Ode to Ignorance: Australian racism in line of fire for Melbourne hip-hop act – video premiere

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 07:34 PM PDT

Melbourne hip-hop artist Remi and producer Sensible J have released an explosive track condemning Australia's turbulent race relations, including the treatment of Indigenous Australians and asylum seekers. The recent Australian Music Prize winners say that although the song is informed by personal experiences growing up in Australia, it is not targeted at any one racial group and is instead 'directed at ignorance'. Having toured their debut album, Raw X Infinity, around Australia, the group is now heading to Britain and Europe for more shows. Over the next month, a portion of album sales will be donated to Australia's Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Continue reading...

Islamic State militants claim attacks on embassies in Libya

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 06:52 PM PDT

A bomb exploded outside the Moroccan embassy hours after gunmen fired shots at the South Korea mission, killing two security guards

Australian fashion week 2015: Gemma Ward returns to open Ellery show – video

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 06:32 PM PDT

Kym Ellery's designs opened Australian fashion week on Sunday night. The 20-minute show was led by Perth model Gemma Ward, who made a highly anticipated return to the Australian runway after a long hiatus. The star-studded event was held at Carriageworks in Sydney Continue reading...

Toddler shoots and kills one-year-old boy in Cleveland, Ohio

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 05:36 PM PDT

Police say the boy picked up an unattended gun inside the home on the city's east side and accidentally shot the baby in the head

A toddler has shot and killed a one-year-old boy after picking up an unattended gun at a home in Cleveland, Ohio, police said on Sunday night.

Detectives were trying to determine how the three-year-old boy came to find the gun, the city's police chief Calvin Williams told reporters outside the home.

Car chased by Queensland police spins out of control and bursts into flames - video

Posted: 12 Apr 2015 05:21 PM PDT

Video released by Queensland police shows the moment a car being pursued spins off the road and bursts into flames south of Brisbane. A teenager suffered a broken spine in the incident in Yatala on Saturday. Police were carrying out an operation against car hoons, the ABC reported. Two other people in the car suffered shock and bruising. Note: this video has no sound Continue reading...