World News

Syria's de facto leader has reached an agreement with the heads of rebel factions to dissolve their groups and work under the country's defence ministry, his new administration says.

Hundreds of people have protested in Christian areas of the Syrian capital of Damascus after a video emerged showing hooded fighters setting a Christmas tree on fire elsewhere in the country.

A Russian cargo ship that Ukraine claims was sent to Syria to collect weapons has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea, according to officials in Moscow.

Hong Kong has imposed arrest warrants and HK$1m bounties on six pro-democracy campaigners, including a 19-year-old living in the UK after fleeing the city.

A blast at an explosives factory in Turkey has killed at least 12 people, a government minister said.

Shipping containers have fallen into the sea after a cargo vessel tilted sideways off the Turkish coast.

The conviction of dozens of civilian supporters of Imran Khan, the former Pakistani leader, in the country's military courts is of "deep concern" to the UK and the US, officials have said.

Slovakia's prime minister has drawn criticism from across Europe and from his own people after his surprise visit to Moscow for face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin on Sunday.

A huge snowstorm has left tens of thousands of homes in Bosnia without power on Christmas Eve and caused traffic chaos.

In a year of very serious political shifts, there were still a load of very unserious WTF moments to gawk at.