Hong Kong democracy street battles rage on despite imminent talks

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Violent clashes erupted early on Sunday in a Hong Kong protest hotspot as unarmed pro-democracy activists once again confronted riot police despite the confirmation of talks between protest leaders and officials early this week.

South African hitman dies of brain tumor, was due to testify in Briton's murder trial

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African hitman serving a life sentence for shooting dead the wife of British businessman Shrien Dewani has died of a brain tumor, the justice minister said, before he was due to testify in Dewani's trial for plotting the murder.

Fiercest fighting in days hits Syrian border town

URFA Turkey (Reuters) - The fiercest fighting in days shook the Syrian border town of Kobani overnight, sources inside the town and a monitoring group said on Sunday, as Islamic State attacked Kurdish militants with mortars and car bombs.

Hopes fade for 40 missing after Nepal blizzard

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Hopes faded on Sunday for survivors of one of Nepal's worst mountain disasters as villagers joined an intensive search by troops and government officials for as many as 40 people missing after an unseasonal blizzard killed 39.

Sweden steps up hunt for 'foreign underwater activity'

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden beefed up its military presence in the Stockholm archipelago on Saturday to scour its waters for "foreign underwater activity", a mobilization of Swedish ships, troops and helicopters unseen since the Cold War.