World

TOKYO: “What Japan needs most now is a dictator.” Toru Hashimoto, a lawyer and TV celebrity-turned politician, was quick to add when he made that widely publicised remark last... More»

DENPASAR: Indonesian security forces stormed an infamous prison on Bali island today to regain control after a night of rioting that saw inmates hurl rocks and set fires, police... More»

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces pounded neighbourhoods in the flashpoint city of Homs today killing seven civilians, and opened fire in Damascus in a bid to halt the spread of protests... More»

WASHINGTON: Fruit seeds stored away by squirrels more than 30,000 years ago and found in Siberian permafrost have been regenerated into full flowering plants by scientists in Russia, a... More»

The Philippine economy is coming to a stage where it will be attracting more investor interest. More»

by Christophe de Roquefeuil CAIRO: The Arab Spring that reshaped the region’s political landscape has entered a second year, marked by fragile transitions and the empowerment of Islamists in... More»

MOSCOW: Russian strongman Vladimir Putin vowed today that Russia would strengthen its military might and offer an “asymmetrical and effective” response to the deployment of a Nato missile shield.... More»

WASHINGTON: On February 6, it all seemed so clear. Mitt Romney had won landslides in Florida and Nevada and looked set to soon lock up the Republican presidential nomination... More»

SYDNEY:  Australian ex-premier Kevin Rudd was told to “put up or shut up” by critics in his party Monday as leadership tensions reached fever pitch with speculation a ballot... More»

LOS ANGELES:  He catapulted her to Hollywood superstardom as her big-screen bodyguard and now Kevin Costner will pay special tribute to Whitney Houston at her final curtain. The co-star... More»

SYDNEY:  Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd Wednesday resigned, saying he could not continue without Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s support amid speculation he will challenge her for the leadership. “The... More»

Iran is pinning hopes on a peaceful end to its nuclear programme row but war is looming over the horizon. More»

YANGON: Myanmar has promised to “seriously consider” allowing Southeast Asian observers for by-elections marking the opposition’s return to mainstream politics, the Asean regional bloc said today. The April 1... More»

HONG KONG:  Hong Kong’s government on Tuesday launched an appeal against a landmark court ruling which grants thousands of foreign maids the right to seek permanent residency in the... More»

By Andrew RC Marshall TAR PU VILLAGE( Myanmar ): In Myanmar’s new war on drugs, meet the weapon of mass destruction: the weed-whacker. Its two-stroke engine spins a metal... More»

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict wants to see Fidel Castro on his trip to Cuba next month but the meeting will depend on the health of the communist country’s revolutionary... More»

WASHINGTON:  The United States marks the 50th anniversary Monday of the first flight of an American into orbit. But the historic landmark is bittersweet: the first nation to land... More»

RIO DE JANEIRO: With fireworks and a thumping drum beat, top samba schools paraded sumptuous allegorical floats and hundreds of exquisitely costumed performers in Rio’s hallowed Sambadrome late yesterday.... More»

TAOYUAN: On a military base in north Taiwan’s Taoyuan county, hundreds of young men are battling one of the main obstacles to a robust and efficient defence force –... More»

BRISBANE: Budget carrier Air Australia collapsed Friday, stranding thousands of passengers as its domestic flights and international services to Honolulu, Bali and Phuket were all grounded. The news came... More»