Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim speaks to supporters before his final sodomy appeal today

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim delivered a speech to supporters on the grounds of his alma mater, the Universiti Malaya, late last night, despite a heavy downpour and attempts by the university to block.

Anwar, 67, used a megaphone to address the crowd from the back of a pick-up truck around 10 pm, before he heads to court today to make a final appeal against his conviction on sodomy charges earlier this year.

The UM administration had declared the event illegal, but Anwar had vowed to attend, and a phalanx of security guards eventually unlocked the university gates to the event.

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ISIS propaganda video places hostage in Kobane

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group released a video on Monday showing a British hostage apparently in Kobane, in a bid to disprove that it was losing the battle for the disputed Syrian border town.

The video, the latest in a series featuring 43-year-old kidnapped reporter John Cantlie, shows him in a war-damaged town, talking to the camera and rejecting US claims that the "mujahedeen" are in retreat.

There is no indication in the video of when it was shot, but Cantlie refers to a news report that was broadcast by the BBC on October 17 and to remarks made by a US military spokesman on October 16.

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US troops put in isolation in Italy after stint in Ebola-hit West Africa

US troops returning from West Africa are being placed under isolation at a base in Italy as a precaution to prevent the potential spread of the Ebola virus, the Pentagon said on Monday.

Major General Darryl Williams, who stepped down on Saturday as head of the military mission in Liberia helping to fight the Ebola outbreak, and 11 members of his staff, were assigned to a separate location at the base in Italy and were being monitored by a medical team, Warren said.

The move came as controversy erupted in the US over new quarantine rules issued by the US states of New York, New Jersey and Illinois for people returning from West Africa.

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Manhunt for killers of South Africa football captain Senzo Meyiwa

South Africa launched a massive manhunt on Monday to catch the killers of South Africa's national football captain Senzo Meyiwa, who was shot dead during a robbery at his girlfriend's home.

Police said the 27-year-old goalkeeper was killed late Sunday after burglars broke into the house of his pop-star girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, making off with a cell phone.

South Africa's president Jacob Zuma led a shocked nation in voicing outrage at the attack. "Words cannot express the nation's shock at this loss," said President Jacob Zuma.

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Rock star Sting's musical 'The Last Ship' docks on Broadway

The Last Ship, a musical by Grammy-winning rock star Sting based on his childhood in a shipbuilding town in northeastern England, landed on Broadway with a star-studded opening.

Actors Robert De Niro, Liam Neeson, Bill Pullman and Alan Cumming, along with singers Billy Joel and Debbie Harry of Blondie were on hand on Sunday night for Sting's Broadway debut as a composer at the Neil Simon Theatre.

While critics praised the cast and a score that some called one of the best ever by a rock star, the New York Times said the script is unfocused and diffuse.

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