WATCH LIVE: Barack Obama will be delivering his last State of the Union speech as the country's focus shifts toward the 2016 presidential race.

COMMENT: Trade Minister Todd McClay is not an openly combative politician, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Police in Sweden have been accused of hushing up a series of sexual assaults by asylum seekers at Europe's largest teen pop festival.

The British MP intervened in a longstanding row between the Chinese owners of Wentworth golf club and its members following a row over price hikes.

Despite local rumours that he could be lining up a round of golf in Northland, the government says there are no plans for Barack Obama to pay us a visit.

With 158 beheadings in the past 12 months, it is hard to tell whether it is Saudi Arabia that has gone mad, or the United Nations, writes Donna Miles-Mojab.

As tensions escalate between Saudi Arabia and Iran over the Saudi execution of a Shia cleric, countries such as ours will be reluctant to take sides.

The beheadings sent a clear message to militant Islamists and the Shi'a that the state would not hesitate to employ its monopoly on violence against those who challenged its authority, writes Ben Rich.

A British MP suspended from the Labour Party for sending salacious text messages to a 17-year-old girl is under fire from one ex-wife.

Islamic law forbids the enslavement of Muslims, but all that did was to encourage a roaring trade in the enslavement of non-Muslims that lasted for over a thousand years, writes Gwynne Dyer.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump blasted the Obama administration on its relationship with Iran and its handling of the Islamic State group. He also said Hillary Clinton "created ISIS with Obama."

On Twitter this week, Donald Trump, the GOP presidential frontrunner, lashed out at Hillary Clinton, directly attacking her husband.

Prince Charles should be allowed to speak up on matters dear to him, a poll of New Zealanders indicates.

Trade deal gives polluters power to sue governments who try to implement the Paris agreement.

Australian election strategist Lynton Crosby is in line for a British knighthood, sparking a fresh row over cronyism in the British honours system.

Polls may be underestimating Trump's support as according to new research, the Republican who plan to vote for him are too embarrassed to admit it.

Here's a look at what the CIA's predictions in 2000 got right and wrong about the world of today.

In the year 2000, the CIA commissioned a report on what global trends will be in 2015. Here's what they got right and wrong.

Donald Trump said Hillary Clinton's restroom break was 'too disgusting to talk about' and that she was 'schlonged' by a male opponent.

Criminals were deported to New Zealand this year with no monitoring or supervision regime in place because work on a scheme stalled.

Margaret Thatcher's daughter has sold off the Iron Lady's belongings for a neat $10 million.

Many of Putin's comments circled back to relations with the United States, including a bit of look-ahead musing on the White House race. Putin said Russia would work with "whomever the American voters choose", but he singled out Trump.