The Russian airline Kogalymavia blames "external activity" for Saturday's deadly Sinai plane crash which killed 224 people.

Knights and dames will be dropped from the Australian honours system, the Order of Australia, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announces.

New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter is named World Rugby player of the year and the All Blacks are team of the year.

Ex-US senator Fred Thompson - who acted in films and on TV, investigated President Nixon and made a bid for the presidency - dies at the age of 73.

The bodies of 144 people are flown back to St Petersburg, as an investigation continues into the crash of a Russian airliner in Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

Police in Nepal remove protesters from a key border checkpoint to allow more than 200 vehicles stranded to cross over to India.

Turkey's president says the world must respect election results that saw his Justice and Development Party (AKP) regain its majority.

China's top family planning body warns couples and officials that they must continue to obey the country's one-child policy until the law changes in March.