World

Pope Francis, facing sexual abuse crises in several countries, wrote an unprecedented letter to all Catholics on Monday, asking each one of them to help root out "this culture of death" and vowing there would be no more cover ups.

An influential American lawmaker has said that she will introduce a historic legislation to posthumously award Mahatma Gandhi a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award in the US, for inspiring peaceful movements for civil rights around the world.

The Taliban rejected on Monday an Afghan government offer of a ceasefire and they would persist with their attacks, two militant commanders said, while insurgents ambushed three buses and nearly 200 passengers travelling for a holiday.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia abandoned plans for emission targets on Monday, bowing to pressure from conservatives who considered toppling Turnbull's government over an energy policy that aimed to reduce prices and bring the country into line with international climate change commitments.

China, seeking to skirt US sanctions, will use oil tankers from Iran for its purchases of that country's crude, throwing Tehran a lifeline while European companies such as France's Total are walking away because of the fear of reprisals from Washington.

An Indian-American doctor from Texas, who was convicted of raping a sedated patient in a Houston hospital, will not serve prison time and, instead, will spend 10 years of probation.

Winter is coming.

US forces will stay in Iraq "as long as needed" to help stabilise regions previously controlled by the Islamic State, a spokesperson for the US-led international coalition fighting the militants said on Sunday.

From creating 10 million jobs to building an Islamic welfare state and restoring Pakistan's tattered image abroad, new Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing a problem of his own making: runaway expectations raised by his lofty rhetoric.

At the age of just 12, Winston Churchill wrote a letter to his mother declaring that his childhood enemy was a "stealing, lying, catchpenny" tyrannical tutor whom she was planning to hire during his summer holidays.