Abbott 'lost confidence' in rights chief after report

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Tuesday that he had lost confidence in the head of the nation's Human Rights Commission, calling a report criticizing the detention of asylum-seeker children a "political stitch-up".

PM will send troops to train Iraqi forces

New Zealand will send a small number of troops to Iraq to help train local forces in their battle against the Islamic State group, Prime Minister John Key announced on Tuesday.

'Tougher' penalties for hate speech

French President Francois Hollande vowed to introduce tougher penalties for "racist, anti-Semitic or homophobic" remarks on Monday in the wake of last month's militant attacks in Paris.

States try to predict inmates' future crimes

US states are trying to reduce prison populations with secretive new psychological assessments to predict which inmates will commit future crimes and who might be safe to release, despite serious problems and high-profile failures, an Associated Press investigation found.

Marine who vanished in Iraq is jailed

A US marine who vanished a decade ago in Iraq was sentenced on Monday to two years in prison for leaving his post there and then fleeing to Lebanon after a brief return to the United States.

Cease-fire deal offers 'only hope of peace'

A cease-fire deal brokered by Europe remains the only way to secure peace in Ukraine, the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Tuesday.

Law suit filed for return of medieval treasure

The heirs of Nazi-era Jewish art dealers said they have filed a lawsuit in the United States suing Germany and a German museum for the return of a medieval treasure trove worth an estimated $226 million.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Bringring affordable art to new generation

Tom Pattinson is a big fan of art and adventure. The British national combines both his passions by nurturing a platform that showcases affordable art by artists in China.

Through negatives, Frenchman brings 80s and 90s China back to life

Women in dresses pose by refrigerators, tourists on the beach stand with the sun setting behind them and children hug a statue of Ronald McDonald.

Changing how food gets to our plates

Food lovers can change China's farm land - that's the belief of Wang Mei, a steadfast foodie and promoter of uncontaminated food.

Charity app seeks transparency for gift-giving via social media

"The road of doing good deeds is filled with frustration," said Guo Peng, the founder of a technology company that supports charity projects. Yet he sees each frustration as a door that can open to a solution and a more effective way of providing charity. His story offers a glimpse of how charitable giving is China is evolving from mass donations of money into more effective interaction.