Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff replaces pro-austerity Finance Minister Joaquim Levy amid a serious recession in Latin America's largest economy.

A US-led coalition air strike during an offensive against so-called Islamic State (IS) may have killed Iraqi soldiers, the US military says.

More than 47,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2014 - the most ever recorded in one year, US officials say.

Rwandans vote overwhelmingly to allow President Paul Kagame to extend his term in office, according to initial referendum results.

A UN plan for Syria is a "milestone" in the efforts to end the conflict there, says US Secretary of State John Kerry.

India's opposition Congress party leaders, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, are set to appear in court in connection with a corruption case.

Cars are forced off the road and factories closed in Beijing as the city is once again hit by a wave of hazardous smog.

China accuses the US of "serious military provocation" with a B-52 bomber flight over the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.