United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has proposed sending between 20 and 3,000 police to Burundi, where political violence has been simmering for a year, but warned that the government signalled it would only accept 20 unarmed experts. In a report, seen by Reuters on Monday, Ban outlined three possible options for a police deployment to the small landlocked African state …

] U.S. first lady Michelle Obama will join her husband, President Barack Obama, for his trip to Britain later this week, the White House said on Monday. The Obamas will attend a private lunch with Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip at Windsor Castle on Friday. That evening they will have diner with Prince William, his wife Kate, and …

Syrian peace talks came close to collapse on Monday, with the mainstream opposition announcing a pause in talks at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, although it agreed to keep its negotiating team in the city. The Western-backed opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said in a letter to rebel fighters that government military advances meant a ceasefire was effectively over …

Oil prices slid on Monday after a meeting between major producing nations on a proposed output freeze fell apart, leaving the world grappling with an excess of unwanted crude. Oil exporting nations, including non-OPEC Russia, had gathered in the Qatari capital of Doha for what was expected to be the rubber-stamping of a deal to stabilise output at January levels …

A Ukrainian court has convicted two alleged Russian special forces soldiers of crimes including terrorism and sentenced them to 14 years in jail. The pair – Yevgeny Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov – were captured in eastern Ukraine last May. Russia denies sending troops to the region and has said the men were volunteers who had left active service. A fragile …

Syrian rebel groups launched a new offensive against government forces on Monday and some accused the United Nations of bias, imperilling peace talks already threatened by fighting. The opposition’s coordinator at the Geneva talks said it was unacceptable for negotiations to go on if the government and its allies pushed on with sieges and bombing civilian areas, echoing recent criticism …

Britain’s top share index came under pressure on Monday after major oil producers failed to reach an agreement to freeze output over the weekend, sending shares in energy stocks lower. Oil & gas companies were the top sectoral fallers after a deal to freeze oil output by OPEC and non-OPEC producers broke down on Sunday, sending oil prices tumbling. OPEC’s …

Actress Amber Heard has avoided a conviction for illegally taking her dogs into Australia. Ms Heard, married to actor Johnny Depp, had pleaded guilty in court to making a false statement on her immigration card about the couple’s Yorkshire terriers. But the Queensland judge gave her a one-month good behaviour bond with no conviction recorded. If she breaks the bond …

Opposition leader Bill Shorten speaks while Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull looks on in Australia’s lower house on Monday Australia will likely head to the polls on 2 July after the federal upper house voted down legislation aimed at policing construction industry unions. The Australian Building Commission and Construction Commission (ABCC) bill was defeated by 36 votes to 34. The Senate …

  British finance minister George Osborne told voters that leaving the European Union would cost them thousands of pounds a year and sap funding for public services because it would do permanent damage to the country’s economy. In a move likely to grab the attention of many Britons, who remain split on whether to stay in the bloc, Osborne pointed …