Australian police charge three people after a child was allegedly locked inside an elaborate underground drugs compound north of Sydney.

Russia's defence ministry says an Amnesty International report accusing Moscow of indiscriminate air strikes in Syria is "total lies".

The Nigerian army is close to defeating Boko Haram militants whose military capabilities have been reduced, President Mouammadu Buhari tells the BBC.

The Black Lives Matter group disrupts shopping and air travel in two US states in a pre-Christmas protest over police killings of black men.

Hazardous smog blanketing China's north-east has sparked more red alerts, with authorities advising residents in 10 cities to stay indoors.

A dangerous storm hits the south and mid-west of the US, killing at least six people and injuring scores more ahead of the Christmas break.

A fire in the early hours of the morning at a hospital in Saudi Arabia kills 25 people and injures more than 100, the Civil Defence Agency says.

Indian PM Narendra Modi is set to hold crucial talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expected to focus on defence and nuclear energy co-operation.