The US has led international condemnation of the successful launch of North Korea's first space satellite.

North Korea fired a long-range rocket today in a second launch under its new leader, defying warnings from the UN and Washington.

The White House said it is prepared to talk one-on-one with Iran to find a diplomatic settlement to the impasse over Tehran’s reported pursuit of nuclear weapons, but there is no agreement now to meet.

Simultaneous bombings bearing the hallmarks of international terrorists ripped through crowds watching the World Cup final in Uganda's capital, killing 64 people.

Squads of US Marines and Afghan soldiers slowly pressed deeper into the Taliban stronghold of Marjah today, painstakingly clearing out booby-trapped houses one by one.