Several rebel groups have said they were freezing talks on planned peace negotiations with the Syrian government, citing "major violations" by the government forces to an ongoing ceasefire. ....

The fight between rival gangs over the weekend at the Anisio Jobim penitentiary in Manaus, the capital of Brazil's Amazonas state, left at least 60 people dead, officials said on Monday. ....

United States President-elect Donald Trump on Monday responded on Twitter to North Korea's threats, stating that Pyongyang would not develop a nuclear weapon that could endanger US security. ....

As Donald Trump prepares to take oath as US President on January 20, over half of Americans are sceptical about his ability to handle an international crisis, to use military force wisely or to prevent major scandals in his administration, according to a new poll released on Monday. ....

More than 50 people were killed in a bloody prison riot in the Amazon jungle city of Manaus, a Brazilian security official told the Globo TV network on Monday. ....

The Islamic State jihadist group has taken credit for the gun attack at a popular nightclub in Istanbul which killed 39 people on New Year's Eve, mostly foreigners, and injured 70. ....

China has launched its first freight train to London, railway officials said. ....

A total of 650 vehicles were burnt in acts of vandalism in France on New Year's Eve, accounting for a 10 per cent rise from the previous year, authorities said on Monday. ....

At least 12 persons were killed and three injured during a shootout at a new year party in Brazil, police said. ....

The manhunt continues for the lone gunman who killed 39 persons and injured 69 others at a high-end nightclub in Turkey's Istanbul. ....