Typhoon's survivors 'afraid of their own shadows'
Lindsay Murdoch 9:21 PM A year after one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, many Filipinos - as well as their government - are still struggling to cope.
Top world stories
Berlin marks 25 years without the wall
Nick Miller 4:41 PM Former political prisoner Cliewe Juritza was sitting in a bar in West Berlin when the wall came down, 25 years ago this weekend.
US court upholds bans on same-sex marriage
Erik Eckholm 12:48 PM A federal appeal court has upheld the rights of states to ban same-sex marriage, overturning lower court decision in four US states.
Doubts build over school rape claims
Michael Bachelard 2:00 PM Two teachers at the prestigious Jakarta International School are facing court for allegedly raping young boys in their care but, for the first time, public opinion seems to be shifting in their favour.
Latest world news
Ukraine says up to 200 rebels killed in Donetsk airport fighting
Kateryna Choursina and Daryna Krasnolutska 12:01 AM Ukraine's military said its forces killed as many as 200 rebels in fighting in Donetsk as dozens of tanks and other military vehicles crossed the border into Ukraine from Russia.
Remains of Fox executive Smith, found in a shallow grave, indicate 'trauma'
Abby Phillip 8:39 PM The remains of 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith have been identified by his dental records, more than 2½ years after he went missing, police say.
Jihadists threaten SEAL who killed bin Laden
7:48 PM Muslim militants have threatened to kill a former US Navy SEAL who says he fired the fatal shot that killed Osama bin Laden.
Woman 'murdered in act of cannibalism' in Welsh hotel
7:23 PM A woman has been murdered in an "act of cannibalism" and her suspected attacker has died after he was Tasered by police at a British hotel.
Israel escapes 'war crime' trial over aid flotilla
Batsheva Sobelman 2:13 PM The International Criminal Court admits Israeli forces may have committed war crimes in intercepting an aid ship headed for the Gaza Strip in 2010, but says the case does not justify prosecution.
Israel reassures Jordan on al-Aqsa mosque
1:45 PM Israel has promised Jordan it will continue to prevent Jews from praying at Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound.
Vatican staff get Pell rulebook
10:45 PM Australian Cardinal George Pell has issued Vatican officials with a money management manual as part of a drive to clean up the Holy See's finances.
Coal industry leaving poor out in the cold, claims institute
Peter Hannam 1:17 PM Claims by federal politicians that new coalmines in Australia would lift hundreds of millions out of poverty were merely echoing hyperbole by big mining companies, The Australia Institute said in a new report.
ICC won't prosecute over Gaza flotilla deaths
11:56 AM The International Criminal Court will not prosecute over Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010 in which 10 Turkish activists died, despite a "reasonable basis to believe that war crimes were committed".
Libya faces chaos as top court rejects elected assembly
Ulf Laessing 11:45 AM A court ruling rejecting Libya's internationally recognised parliament has worsened the country's chaos.
Divide and conquer
Nick O'Malley 11:15 PM Separating the electorate into useful constituencies is not new in American politics. But in low turnout elections, the effect is pronounced.
Nothing bad about Soviet pact with the Nazis, says Putin
Tom Parfitt 10:18 AM Vladimir Putin has said there was nothing bad about the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the non-aggression treaty which led to the carve-up of Poland at the outset of the Second World War, suggesting that Britain and France were to blame for Adolf Hitler's march into Europe.
US launch tests risks of human flight to Mars
9:38 AM NASA is preparing for the first test flight of the Orion spacecraft that could carry humans to Mars.
US scrutiny of bitcoin intensifies as man arrested over Ponzi scheme
Patricia Hurtado 10:05 AM A Texas man who ran a firm that claimed to make virtual currency-based investments has been accused of masterminding a $US4.5 million Ponzi scheme in what US prosecutors said was a first-of-its-kind case tied to bitcoins.
Kremlin says US probe of Putin ally is attack on president
Alexei Anishchuk 8:36 AM A US investigation of a member of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle is aimed at Mr Putin, the Kremlin says.
Egyptian bus driver gets shock after using wife's urine for drugs test
Tom Decent 7:54 AM An Egyptian bus driver has been left flaggergasted after using his wife's urine in a bid to avoid a mandatory drugs test, only to find out he was busted when officials told him: "You're pregant."
Mikhail Gorbachev says he will defend Putin
6:41 AM Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says he will try to defend Vladimir Putin's policies at ceremonies commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany this week.
Obama sent secret letter to Iran on fighting Islamic State: report
6:00 AM US President Barack Obama wrote a letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran, asking him to co-operate in the fight against Islamic State.
Islamic State's wave of might is turning into a ripple
Ben Hubbard 5:12 AM The extremists of the Islamic State appeared unstoppable after their sudden blitz through Iraq this summer, with its battle-hardened fighters continually raising their black flag over newly conquered areas.
Tanzania probes alleged ivory smuggling during Chinese state visit
Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala 4:28 AM Tanzania is studying a report alleging that Chinese officials bought large amounts of illegal ivory during a visit by President Xi Jinping last year and smuggled it out in diplomatic bags aboard his plane, a Tanzanian government official said on Thursday.
Indonesian minister who will advise president on Bali Nine says he's against death penalty
Gabrielle Dunlevy 3:26 AM The minister who will advise Indonesia's new president on whether to grant clemency to two Australians says he's personally against the death penalty.