The Bali Nine drug-smuggling ringleaders have had something of a small reprieve, but even so, their life expectancy is likely to be measured in days rather than years.

Leaders of Pacific nations are beginning to speak out about claims New Zealand has been keeping too close an eye on their people and one prime minister has called the move a breach of trust.

That Netanyahu could play politics over such a grave issue is depressing, but this cloud may have a silver lining, writes Paul Thomas. His behaviour has infuriated the Democrats.

The mood in Moscow was grim, a quiet rage running through the crowd.

Liberal Party rebels were urged to "pull their heads in" yesterday after a second opinion poll within a week suggested that the Coalition's fortunes are improving.

Hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set off for Washington, a group of 180 retired Israeli generals and former top security officials warned that his address to a joint meeting of Congress....

Guests at Robert Mugabe's million-dollar birthday party were fed a young elephant, while a lion and a crocodile were also sacrificed as gifts to be stuffed.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull have steered clear of increasing speculation that their Prime Minister could face another leadership crisis.

Jakarta's Governor has reportedly said President Joko Widodo is considering different views on the death penalty, including his own advice that it should be removed from Indonesia's laws.

Boris Nemtsov is not the first Russian dissident to die in mysterious circumstances in recent years. These rebels also paid with their lives.

For an hour or two yesterday, Australian PM Tony Abbott left the curse of his leadership troubles behind, only to have to endure the curse of the cricket at Eden Park.

Bad news, peaceniks. If you oppose the deployment of NZ troops to Iraq, you are gutless, a coward, at least in the estimation of the Prime Minister, writes Toby Manhire.

The Taxpayers' Union's trenchant criticism of the NZ Superannuation Fund, over its poor investment in Portugal's Banco Espirito Santo, shows the dangers of viewing problems through ideological goggles.

Australia's First Lady, Margie Abbott, is a former teacher who grew up in Wainuiomata.

There’s been widespread sceptism and outrage in response to the Government’s announcement that New Zealand troops will be sent to Iraq, writes Bryce Edwards.

I believe the decision to commit our troops to Iraq was made a long time ago, and was a decision our Prime Minister had to make for geo-political reasons that gave him little option, writes Dita De Boni.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras won four more months to sell his policy program to creditors while keeping domestic voters on board.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully told the UN Security Council that its future credibility and effectiveness depended on its permanent members making progress on reform.

Jeb Bush's planned campaign for the Republican presidential nomination has suffered a setback with revelations that his wife Columba spent $42,311 in a single day on jewellery including a Bulgari diamond bracelet.

Australia has tightened the rules on foreign purchases of agricultural land and has reduced the ownership screening threshold to A$15 million from A$252 million.

Two former British foreign secretaries offered to use their positions on behalf of a fictitious Chinese company in return for payment of NZ $10k a day.

Tony Abbott has flagged shifting the balance between upholding individual rights and ensuring community protection following a report into the Sydney cafe siege.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras began the task of selling domestically a provisional deal with eurozone partners to extend bailout funds after securing a reprieve.

Just over one month since its last downgrade of Moscow's credit rating, Moody's said Russia "is expected to experience a deep recession in 2015 and a contraction in 2016".

Electoral returns out next week will confirm that a National Party MP received $25,000 from a controversial businessman after Prime Minister John Key had a private dinner with him.

NZ troops are preparing to return to Iraq, a decade after Kiwi soldiers were last in the violence-wracked nation. On Monday the cabinet is expected to set the ground rules for the deployment.

The public could be wise to be sceptical or wary about politicians trying to manipulate them about the global fight against ISIS, writes Bryce Edwards.

Vint Cerf, one of the people who helped build the internet (and who's now been assimilated by Google of course), is warning about a digital Dark Age.

Japan's economy expanded less than economists estimated in the fourth quarter, underlining the difficulty in stoking growth while export gains are undermined.