Leader in row over 'power abuse' of spy unit

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key was accused on Tuesday of being involved in an abuse of power after an independent watchdog found the political neutrality of the security services had been compromised to embarrass an opposition leader.

Video 'clear' of officer shooting boy

A police officer was less than 3 meters away when he fatally shot a 12-year-old boy carrying a pellet gun near a playground, and video of the shooting is clear about what happened, the police said on Monday.

Hagel resignation comes at tough time for US defense policy

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's resignation comes at a particularly tough time for the country's foreign and defense policy, with one war ending, another just beginning and the Pentagon struggling with the prospect of deeper budget cuts.

Nuclear talks stumble; June deadline set

Iran and six world powers have agreed to extend their negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue by seven months after days of intensive talks failed to produce a comprehensive deal.

Khamenei: west fails to bring iran to its knees

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Western global powers will not be able to bring Iran to its knees in nuclear talks.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Spacecraft docks with ISS

A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday to deliver three new crew members to the International Space Station, including Italy's first female astronaut.

Chilean moms grow marijuana to ease their children's torment

Paulina Bobadilla was beyond desperate. The drugs no longer stopped her daughter's epileptic seizures, and the little girl had become so numb to pain she would tear off her own fingernails and leave her small fingers bleeding.

Boy, waving toy gun, killed by police

Police in Cleveland, Ohio, shot and killed a 12-year-old African American boy waving what turned out to be a toy gun at a playground, officials said on Sunday.

Putin: I won't be president for a lifetime

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will not remain the country's top leader for life and will step down in line with the constitution no later than 2024, according to an interview with a Russian news agency released on Sunday.

Abbott's 'shirtfront' gets new meaning

The Australian prime minister's threat to "shirtfront" Russia's president during an international summit this month has prompted a dictionary to broaden its definition of the word beyond an Australian football term for a shoulder charge to an opponent's chest.

Sydney woman charged with attempted murder after baby son found in drain

A 30-year-old Sydney mother has been charged with the attempted murder of her newborn son whom she allegedly abandoned in a roadside drain, police said on Monday.