Regional & International News

An asylum seeker and journalist detained for years by Australia on an island in the Pacific has been awarded the country's richest literary prize. Behrouz Boochani, an Iranian Kurd, wrote No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by text message from inside a detention centre. It won the 2019 Victorian

Saudi Arabia has ended an anti-corruption drive launched in November 2017 that saw senior princes, ministers and prominent businessmen rounded up. The Royal Court said a committee led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had recovered $107bn (£81bn) in settlements including property, companies and cash. A total of 381 individuals were summoned

Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó says he has held secret meetings with the military to win support for ousting President Nicolás Maduro. Mr Guaidó declared himself interim president earlier this month and was immediately recognised by the US and several Latin American countries. Major powers Russia and China back Mr Maduro and

At least eight people have died in the US Midwest as the region shivers in the grip of its worst cold snap in decades. An Iowa student found dead outside a college building is among victims of the deadly freeze. Hospitals have been treating patients reporting frostbite as life across a swathe

Venezuela's opposition leader has told the BBC that people are living in a "dictatorship" and renewed his calls for fresh elections. Juan Guaidó declared himself interim leader last week and has been recognised by more than 20 countries, including the US. President Nicolás Maduro retains the support of Russia, which has accused

Crowds of angry Hindu devotees have prevented women from entering one of Hinduism's holiest temples despite a historic Supreme Court ruling. Crowds of agitated protesters in Kerala attacked female devotees, many of whom turned back as a result. Several people including an old woman were injured as crowds threw stones

President Donald Trump has threatened to cut financial aid to Honduras over a large group of migrants heading towards the US border. In a Tweet posted on Tuesday, Mr Trump said the country's president was told funds would be cut "immediately" if the group was not stopped and returned. The

A man in China whose wife killed herself and their two children after he allegedly faked his own death for an insurance payout has surrendered to police. The 34-year-old was presumed dead after his car was found in a river, though his body was never recovered. He did not tell his wife