Australia's house prices have entered the year, lower. A report by a popular analyst RP Data shows house prices have fallen four percent nationally over the year. Brisbane and Melbourne had the steepest falls of over five percent.

 

Activists say at least 23 people have died in another outbreak of violence in the Syrian city of Homs. Observers from the Arab League have just arrived in the country as part of a deal with Syria to end the nine-month of bloodshed. The Syrian government has denied responsibility for the latest violence and the opposition is urging observers to travel to Homs as part of their mission.

 

A suicide bomber has killed at least seven people and injured about 27 others in an attack outside Iraq's interior ministry. The attacker detonated a car bomb at a checkpoint in central Bagdad. A series of bombing has killed nearly 70 people in the capital late last week.