World News Update, what you need to know

The conservative US group that invited former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott to speak in New York says the event is not "intentionally secretive".

ELSEWHERE:

COPENHAGEN - Denmark's parliament has passed measures aimed at deterring refugees from seeking asylum, including confiscating valuables to pay for their stay, despite protests from international human rights organisations.

BEIRUT - A bomb attack claimed by Islamic State in the Syrian government-controlled city of Homs has killed at least 24 people, the city's governor says, as regime forces took back some IS-held villages east of Aleppo.

PARIS - Six Parisian schools that were evacuated after receiving bomb threats have been declared safe by police, the city's school authority says.

OTTAWA - The government of Canada discriminated against aboriginal children by underfunding welfare services on reserves, a human rights tribunal has found in a decision expected to affect the delivery of indigenous education, healthcare and housing.

NEW YORK - Weight Watchers stock is gaining again, thanks to Oprah Winfrey's weight loss.

LONDON - Lifeboats searched for more than 90 minutes following an emergency call reporting a person struggling in the water - only to find it was an inflatable doll.

LONDON - The award of Australian of the Year in the UK to election guru Lynton Crosby should be revoked because of his work promoting "big tobacco", an opinion piece in a leading British newspaper says.