South Korea: MPs leave ruling party after scandal

As the US and other countries withdraw development staff and aid, China's regional rivals are watching whether Beijing can extend its sphere of influence by building ties with a new Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

A trial has kicked off for 19 suspects in Mozambique’s "hidden debt" or "tuna bonds" scandal. The corruption affair allegedly involved a tuna company, maritime security firms and more than 2 billion dollars in loans. Monday, South Africa promised to extradite the man who was Mozambique’s Finance Minister at the time. Journalist Ntshepeng Motema explains how the scandal worsened the country’s economic troubles.

Michael Fawcett has stepped aside to allow a probe into allegations that he offered to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a wealthy Saudi businessman.

South Korea's ministry of defence releases footage of a successful a submarine ballistic missile launch, making the country the seventh in the world with the advanced technology and raising the prospect of a regional arms race. The test, supervised by President Moon Jae-in, comes hours after nuclear-armed North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, according to the South's military, and as China's foreign minister visited Seoul.

Bundestag parliamentarians are paid by the state so that they do not need a second job. But many still find ways to make an additional income — that is now being significantly restricted.

Nearly two dozen WHO employees have been accused of sexual abuse during an Ebola outbreak in Congo. The organization's main donors, including the US and EU, have called for accountability.

Pyongyang last cut off the hotline in August after joint US-South Korea military drills. The move comes amid a series of weapons tests by the North.

The leaders of Kenya, Congo Brazzaville and Gabon are amongst dozens of African politicians caught up by revelations of an offshore assets scandal. Ethiopia's Prime minister is sworn in for a five year term amidst global criticism over the humanitarian emergencies triggered by ongoing conflict in the country's Tigray region. And finally Cameroon gears up for the African Cup of Nations by boosting its security.

Pope Francis expresses his personal shame and that of the Church at the sexual abuse of children by French Catholic clergy, and offers the victims his prayers, after the scale of the problem was laid bare in a devastating report. An independent commission revealed earlier this week that French Catholic clergy sexually abused around 216,000 minors over seven decades since 1950, calling the scandal a "massive phenomenon" that was covered up by a "veil of silence".

After a meeting with Pope Francis on a a farewell trip to Rome, German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that the Catholic Church must let the truth come out it is to rebuild the trust of Christians the world over.

The World Health Organization has been under pressure after nearly two dozen of its employees were accused of sexual abuse in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

South Korea has launched its first domestically developed space rocket but failed to put its dummy payload into orbit, a setback in the country's attempts to join the ranks of advanced space-faring nations.