The grave marker of Hayati Lutfiah, a passenger of AirAsia QZ8501, is pictured at a cemetery in Surabaya January 1, 2015. REUTERS/Sigit Pamungkas

Weather stalls search for AirAsia black boxes

By Fergus Jensen, Gayatri Suroyo and Charlotte Greenfield

PANGKALAN BUN/SURABAYA, Indonesia - Heavy seas stopped divers reaching the possible wreck of an AirAsia Indonesia jet off Borneo.  Full Article 

Abbas trades stalemate for confrontation in ICC move 1:52pm EST

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has entered into his most serious confrontation yet with Israel by signing onto the International Criminal Court.
People lay down flowers during a memorial ceremony in memory of people who were killed in a stampede incident during a New Year's celebration on the Bund, in Shanghai January 1, 2015. REUTERS/Aly Song
China

Shanghai New Year's Eve stampede kills 36

By Adam Jourdan

SHANGHAI - A stampede killed at least 36 people during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, possibly caused by people rushing to pick up fake money thrown from a building.  Full Article 

Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny (L) and his brother and co-defendant Oleg attend a court hearing in Moscow December 30, 2014. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
Opinion

Meet the man Putin can't put in jail

By Lucian Kim

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny is a thorn in Putin’s side, but silencing him won’t be easy. Because of Navalny’s wide appeal, especially among younger Muscovites, the authorities are wary of imprisoning him and turning him into a martyr.   Commentary 

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attends a meeting of Korean People's Army (KPA) battalion commanders and political instructors in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 5, 2014. REUTERS/KCNA
North Korea

North Korea leader open to summit with South

By Sohee Kim and James Pearson

SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was open to a high-level summit with neighboring South Korea, days after a proposal from Seoul to resume dialogue.  Full Article | Video 

An employee welds the exterior of a vehicle along a production line at a factory in Qingdao, Shandong province December 1, 2014. REUTERS/China Daily
Economy

China factory activity falls

BEIJING - China's factory activity sputtered in December, underlining the challenges facing the country's manufacturers as they fight rising costs and softening demand in a cooling economy.  Full Article 

Data Dive

Women make their way though Times Square with bags of purchases from Toys R Us in New York November 27, 2014. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Happier days for consumers

By Mike Corones

American shoppers are feeling pretty good for 2015. What the latest research shows about their growing confidence over jobs and retail trends.  Full Article