A bus plunges into a ravine in western Guatemala, killing 14 ex-paramilitaries who had been working on a reforestation project.

Voters in southern Sudan prepare to take part in a landmark referendum on independence which is expected to split Africa's biggest country in two.

Gunmen kill eight people - four of them children - as they open fire on a minibus in central Honduras, police say.

At least one person is killed as Tunisian police fire on crowds during the latest protests over unemployment, according to eyewitnesses.

US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is in critical condition after a gunman shot her in the head and killed six people in an Arizona gun attack.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang is arriving in Edinburgh at the start of a four-day visit to the UK to promote links between the countries.

The Social Network moves a step closer to Oscar success after bagging four awards from the National Society of Film Critics in the US.

Two French citizens who died after being kidnapped in Niger were probably killed by their captors, the French military says.