In China, rental bikes have become a social menace

Beijing is on the front line of a battle that could be coming soon to a street near you. http://ift.tt/2CrBpiT

Five Britons killed in Oz seaplane crash named

Police have confirmed that five Britons, including an 11-year-old girl, were killed when a seaplane crashed near Sydney yesterday. http://ift.tt/2q5Nl4N

Nuclear button is on my desk, Kim Jong Un warns

Kim Jong Un has used his New Year message to warn the US that he has a "nuclear button" on his desk that is always in reach. http://ift.tt/2q6qExH

Tourists among 12 killed in Costa Rica plane crash

A plane carrying foreign tourists has crashed in Costa Rica, killing all 12 people on board. http://ift.tt/2CiXf99

'Multiple officers down' in Colorado shooting

Police in Colorado say a number of officers are "down" following a shooting incident outside Denver. http://ift.tt/2zS3YRo

Four Brits feared dead in Oz seaplane crash

Four British people are among six killed after a seaplane ditched into a river near Sydney, according to Australian media. http://ift.tt/2lqaKJI

Two demonstrators killed in Iran protests

Two protesters have been killed at a rally in Iran amid a wave of anti-government protests, an official has said. http://ift.tt/2CtDRmp

Seaplane crashes into Oz river, killing six

Six people have been killed after a seaplane ditched into a river near Sydney, Australian police have said. http://ift.tt/2CgmoRT

Man 'assaulted boy and gave him thank you note'

A man known as the "Piggyback Bandit" has been arrested after allegedly inappropriately touching a teenage boy before handing him a thank you note. http://ift.tt/2DDq78c

Global warming threatens future of Champagne

Winemakers in France are planning to introduce a new hybrid grape to negate the effect global warming is having on the production of Champagne. http://ift.tt/2DANbV2

Women's 'safe zone' set up at Berlin NYE event

New Year's Eve celebrations in Berlin will see a "safe zone" for women for the first time in the city's history. http://ift.tt/2BY8Je3

Police shoot man dead after hoax 'swatting' call

Police have reportedly made an arrest after a hoax emergency call led to an unarmed man being shot dead in a so-called "swatting" incident. http://ift.tt/2DB8pSQ

Trump says 'world is watching' after Iran protest

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that the "world is watching" after two days of protests against the country's religious rulers. http://ift.tt/2q1Yd3S

IS says it was behind Russia supermarket attack

Islamic State has said it was behind the bombing of a supermarket in St Petersburg on Wednesday which injured 14 people. http://ift.tt/2EeWIT5

Germany prison break caught on CCTV

A manhunt is under way in Germany after four prisoners managed a daring escape from a jail. http://ift.tt/2lqg4M4

At least 14 killed in Mumbai restaurant blaze

At least 14 people have died, mostly young women, after a popular restaurant in Mumbai caught fire. http://ift.tt/2lnYBEj

Home And Away actress' sister dies after crash

The sister of Home And Away actress Jessica Falkholt has died, three days after a car crash that killed both their parents. http://ift.tt/2zKVOKv

Hong Kong ship seized over NK oil transfer

South Korea briefly seized and inspected a Hong Kong-registered ship it suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea, an official has said. http://ift.tt/2C8auJC

US big freeze: Temperatures plummet to -37C

Temperatures have plummeted to -37C as the US Midwest and Northeast is hit by a record Arctic blast. http://ift.tt/2CivvAw

Trump: US 'could use a bit of global warming'

Donald Trump has claimed the east coast of the US "could use a little bit of that global warming" to combat freezing conditions set to grip the region this weekend. http://ift.tt/2loXSCz

Baby among 12 dead in 'historic' New York fire

A baby is among at least 12 people dead after a "historic" fire at an apartment building in the Bronx area of New York City. http://ift.tt/2DuwBGt

Hung parliament looms as Italy sets poll date

Italians will head to the polls on 4 March in elections that look set to result in renewed instability and thrust former leader Silvio Berlusconi back to the centre of the political stage. http://ift.tt/2CkEHlI

Husband of jailed British mother 'in limbo'

The husband of detained British woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said he was in limbo after hopes that she would be home from Iran in time for Christmas were dashed. http://ift.tt/2C5vIYB

Putin orders police to 'liquidate' terrorists

Vladimir Putin has said armed militants could be "liquidated on the spot" as he declared a supermarket explosion in St Petersburg an "act of terror". http://ift.tt/2ClKass

Football star wins Liberian presidential election

Former professional footballer George Weah has won the Liberia presidential run-off with 61.5% of the vote. http://ift.tt/2le5IzH

Iranian women no longer face jail over dress code

Women in Tehran will no longer routinely face being locked up or prosecuted for failing to observe strict Islamic dress codes in force since the 1979 revolution, the Iranian capital's police chief has said. http://ift.tt/2C4Wm3P

'Surprise' bus-sized asteroid skims past Earth

A "surprise" asteroid which NASA only spotted on Christmas Day has skimmed past the Earth. http://ift.tt/2C5QtU8

Russia loses £33m satellite over programming error

Russia lost a 2.6bn-rouble (£33m) weather satellite due to a programming error, the country's deputy prime minister has confirmed. http://ift.tt/2pMQ8Qw

Brit medics tackle Rohingya diphtheria outbreak

A team of British medics is flying to Bangladesh to help stop a diphtheria outbreak from spreading through Rohingya refugee camps. http://ift.tt/2C5gdjt

Shakira postpones El Dorado world tour again

Shakira has pushed back the start date of her world tour for the second time as she battles vocal cord problems. http://ift.tt/2pOWiiR

40 dead in 'multiple' Kabul bomb blasts

At least 40 people have been killed and dozens more wounded following multiple blasts at a Shia cultural centre in Kabul. http://ift.tt/2pPI6X2

At least 40 dead in Kabul explosions

At least 40 people have been killed and dozens more wounded following multiple blasts at a Shia cultural centre in Kabul. http://ift.tt/2DnlPSj

Vanity Fair sorry for Clinton 'knitting' video

Vanity Fair has apologised for a video it posted to Twitter which suggested Hillary Clinton should take up knitting in the New Year or "literally anything that will keep you from running again". http://ift.tt/2pNzkZy

Lego tower record claimed in memory of boy

A community has rallied to honour the memory of an eight-year old boy by building a tower out of Lego believed to be the tallest in the world. http://ift.tt/2l7JnE6

One dead and 12 critical in Iceland bus crash

One person has died and a dozen others are reported critically injured following a bus crash in Iceland. http://ift.tt/2CewNtM

Sick children evacuated from Syria rebel zone

The first Red Cross ambulances carrying critically ill patients including children with cancer have been allowed to leave a rebel-held enclave in Damascus. http://ift.tt/2DnIkGN

Cook's knives prompt train evacuation in Switzerland

A train in Switzerland was evacuated by police following the discovery of what turned out to be a set of kitchen knives belonging to an amateur cook. http://ift.tt/2DmAZXU

Best friends of 60 years discover they are brothers

Lifelong pals Alan Robinson and Walter MacFarlane have been best mates for 60 years, ever since they played football together at prep school in Hawaii. http://ift.tt/2DloZWt

British soldiers rescue tourists in Atlantic

British soldiers on a sailing expedition in the Atlantic Ocean have saved the lives of five German and Swiss tourists after their boat capsized. http://ift.tt/2BJLrrV

Defected NK soldier has anthrax antibodies

A North Korean soldier who defected to the South in 2017 has been found to have anthrax antibodies in his bloodstream, raising fears the regime could use the disease as a weapon. http://ift.tt/2zBVf5u

Rihanna's cousin shot dead in Barbados

Rihanna's cousin has died after being shot in Barbados on Boxing Day. http://ift.tt/2C9uZCz

Trump tests eight 30ft high border walls

They stand like surreal monuments in the California scrubland: prototypes of Donald Trump's proposed "big, beautiful" border wall between the US and Mexico. http://ift.tt/2zz4OC7

Photos showing how our environment changed in 2017

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Jailed Briton's sister: She was being kind

The sister of a woman jailed for three years for smuggling banned painkillers into Egypt says she has been sent to prison "just for being kind". http://ift.tt/2BDvp34

Footballer George Weah seeks Liberian presidency

Liberians are voting to choose a successor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is stepping down after serving 12 years as Africa's first elected woman leader. http://ift.tt/2zxLAgg

Countdown to $10m art theft reward deadline

The deadline for a hot tip worth $10m (£7.4m) to solve one of the world's biggest art thefts is just days away. http://ift.tt/2lf4vYm

Laura Plummer jailed for three years in Egypt

A British woman accused of smuggling drugs into Egypt has been jailed for three years, according to Sky sources. http://ift.tt/2kZl8I8

Two men die after SUV swept away in river

Two men have died after their SUV was swept away in a river on Christmas Day after a night out with friends. http://ift.tt/2zuNheu

Putin critic barred from Russian election

Vladimir Putin’s biggest political opponent Alexei Navalny has been formally blocked from running against the Russian President in next year’s presidential election. http://ift.tt/2BNuP6F

Pope: Middle East 'needs two-state solution'

Pope Francis has used his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Christmas Day address to call for a two-state solution in the Middle East. http://ift.tt/2DM09QP