Morning briefing: 8 stories from around the world

The Unique Pink, the largest fancy vivid pink pear-shaped diamond ever offered at an auction. Photo / AP

1 Police beating

Widely viewed pictures and video of a protester being kicked by Kenyan riot police as he lay on the ground have caused a stir in the East Africa country, prompting debate on police brutality and civil rights. A policeman is seen beating and kicking one protester who had fallen on a road curb in the chaotic scenes after police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd in the capital, Nairobi.

2 Mine-clearer killed

An Australian mine-clearing expert killed in Iraq while defusing a device planted by retreating Isis (Islamic State) militants has been described as a "guru and mentor" to his Iraqi team members. The Australian was leading 30 deminers from the not-for-profit Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) at Daquq, close to Kirkuk when he was killed.

3 In the spotlight

New York woman became so enraged at the glare from her neighbour's television that she bought Broadway spotlights to shine into his apartment in revenge, a court in Manhattan has heard. A judge has ordered Suellen Epstein to stop shining lights directly into Rich Miele's flat, ahead of a hearing scheduled for Friday.

4 September 11 families can sue

The US Senate passed legislation that would allow families of September 11 victims to sue the Government of Saudi Arabia, rejecting the fierce objections of a US ally and setting Congress on a collision course with the Obama Administration.

5 In the pink

A vivid, pearl-shaped 15.38-carat pink diamond said to be the largest of its kind to go under the hammer has sold at auction for 27.3 million Swiss francs (US$28 million) at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva. The buyer wasn't identified. The "Unique Pink" was mined near the Kimberley area of South Africa.

6 Girls can be better

Eighth-grade girls in the US are not only as skilled as boys at thinking through problems and using technology to solve them, they may even be a little better, a study suggests. The findings come from a first-of-its-kind assessment of technology and engineering literacy by the Nation's Report Card. When asked to tackle real-life scenarios such as designing a safe bicycle lane or improving a pet iguana's habitat, 45 per cent of girls and 42 per cent of boys showed proficiency at understanding and using technology, the computer-based assessment found.

7 Support for same-sex marriage

Mexico's President has proposed allowing same-sex marriage nationally, the latest in a series of progressive policies in a traditionally conservative country. The announcement comes just weeks after President Enrique Pena Nieto proposed relaxing laws on marijuana.

8 Landslide buries villages

A landslide in Sri Lanka, triggered by more than three days of rain, has buried three villages in a central district. The death toll is yet to be determined. Torrential rains have forced more than 137,000 people from their homes so far and killed at least 11.

- agencies