Islamic State militants have blown up the ancient temple of Baalshamin at Palmyra, Syrian officials and activists say.

A Chinese man kidnapped while cycling through Pakistan in May last year is freed by the security forces, the Pakistani government says.

Oscar-winning actor Mel Gibson has been accused of pushing a female photographer outside a cinema in Sydney.

Chinese shares continue their sharp fall as concerns over the country's slowing growth and volatile markets spark panic among traders.

South Korea says it will not stop propaganda broadcasts into the North until Pyongyang apologises for landmines that injured two soldiers.

A large fire has broken out at a steel plant in Kawasaki, close to Japan's Tokyo Haneda international airport.

Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina says he will not stand down over corruption allegations concerning a bribery scheme.

A third day of protests is planned in Lebanon where anti-government protesters have clashed with police over the failure to collect rubbish from the streets.