A wave of violence across Baghdad has killed at least 57 people and injured nearly 200 just days after American forces left the country. The blasts come after a political crisis between Iraq’s Sunni and Shia factions erupted last weekend. The spat, which pits Iraq’s Shia prime minister against the highest-ranking Sunni political leader, has [...]
Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has become the number-one ranked all-rounder in the Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings after stellar performance with the bat and the ball against Pakistan in the Mirpur Test which finished on Wednesday. The former Bangladesh skipper became the first Bangladesh player to score a century and take five wickets in [...]
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed reinstating direct elections of regional governors, in a far-reaching plan for political reform. Direct elections were abolished by his predecessor Vladimir Putin in 2004, since when the governors have been Kremlin appointees. Mr Medvedev was addressing the full Russian parliament, live on television. His speech comes after tens of [...]
Hackers in China broke through the computer defenses of the US Chamber of Commerce last year and were able to access information about its operations and its 3 million members, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. In Beijing, China dismissed the report. The Journal, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter, reported the operation [...]
The devastation in the southern Philippines left by Tropical Storm Washi has created “huge” humanitarian needs in the area, the United Nations said Wednesday, estimating that nearly a half-million people are in need of assistance. “The first priority is to help those who are displaced as a result of the floods,” Valerie Amos, the [...]
A political crisis in Pakistan may threaten not only the future of President Asif Ali Zardari but also keep pressure on an already tense relationship with the United States as it seeks to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan. A scandal over a murky memo that warned the Pentagon of a possible military coup in Pakistan has highlighted [...]
The Economist Intelligent Unit, which monitors global economic trends and assesses financial prospects and challenges, predicts 2012 to bring disappointment to the world economy. According to its latest report, the Euro zone growth for 2012 to contract by 1.2 per cent when Germany and France will face a 50 per cent chance of a credit [...]
Astronomers have detected the first Earth-sized planets, which are orbiting a star similar to our own Sun. In the distant past they may have been able to support life and one of them may have had conditions similar to our own planet – a so-called Earth-twin – according to the research team. They have described [...]