Scotland Yard investigators have cryptic financial records corroborating suspicions that former News of the World editor Andy Coulson knew about illegal payments to police officers, a source with knowledge of the matter reported.

Britain's deputy prime minister says the tabloid phone hacking scandal has created a once-in-a-generation chance to clean up murky relations among media, police and politicians.

Police on Thursday cautioned Australians to be vigilant after an al Qaeda-linked online magazine published a picture of Sydney's iconic Opera House, and expressed concern about its influence on the local Islamic community.

Canada is stripping 1,800 people of their citizenship, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced here on Wednesday, in a first step of this scale by any western nation.

India baiter US Congressman Dan Burton may find a re-election bid to the Congress in 2012 a tough task after reports that he was recipient of money from a man accused of being a spy for Pakistan's ISI.

Australia's troubled Christmas Island detention centre was rocked by a second night of unrest, officials said on Thursday, with police firing tear gas and non-lethal rounds at rioting inmates.