Vidya Charan Shukla, who died after being shot in an ambush by Maoist rebels, was a lifelong Indian politician who repeatedly changed parties to suit his fortunes. While he was steadfastly loyal to prime minister Indira Gandhi, his primary allegiance was to himself.

Tourists will be all about performance not punch-ups today 12 years after ugly brawl

South Africa's President, Jacob Zuma, tells parliament in Cape Town that 'we are very happy with the progress that he's now making'

Nelson Mandela has been admitted to hospital in a “serious but stable” condition as a result of a lung infection.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has refused to release footage for a major new documentary about Benjamin Britten because the composer was a pacifist and a “deserter”, an award-winning film-maker has claimed.

Newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has promised to restore his country's fortunes via a huge spending drive and a more aggressive foreign policy. So could he succeed? David McNeill reports

When Japan's Liberal Democratic Party suffered its first election defeat in more than 50 years, it was widely heralded as the end of an era. Just three years later, however, the LDP has made a spectacular comeback, more than doubling its seats in the lower house of the Diet and catapulting Shinzo Abe – the former Prime Minister who lasted just a single, shambolic year in office – back into the top job.

Both sides have been accused of using firearms during protests that left six dead

Clashes pitted Egyptian against Egyptian and were the most serious since Morsi's election

A student refused to lay a poppy wreath last Sunday

The controversial politician Julius Malema yesterday said black South Africans are worse off than during apartheid and launched a hit list for nationalisation as he capitalised on discontent over the Marikana mine massacre.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has pulled out of international leadership summit because he doesn't want to share a platform with Tony Blair, it emerged yesterday.

Nobel peace winner says he won't share platform with 'morally indefensible' former PM