Coalition backbenchers who tried to unseat Prime Minister Tony Abbott last month say he is a changed man. Voters are less impressed.

Australia's Prime Minister is going to extraordinary lengths to save the lives of the ringleaders of the "Bali Nine" drug smugglers facing execution in Indonesia.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says his Government is doing all it can to stop Australians travelling overseas to fight with extremists.

Though just over one week remains before Israel votes for a new parliament, there's not much of an election buzz in Nazareth, the biggest majority-Arab city in the country.

Tony Blair advised an African president on how to win over public support in the aftermath of clashes in which opposition protesters were shot dead by security forces.

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.

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.

Moscow police were yesterday hunting for the killers of Boris Nemtsov, the Russian opposition politician who was gunned down in the shadow of the Kremlin's towers yesterday.

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.

"Jihadi John" was able to flee the scrutiny of the security services despite being a member of a terrorist cell known to have links to the failed 21/7 attacks on London in 2005.

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.

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.

Iraq will inevitably dominate Friday's talks between John Key and Tony Abbott - but it should not obscure progress on the vital transtasman economic agenda.

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.

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.

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.

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

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".

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.