French-led troops in Mali seize airport

FRENCH-LED troops have seized the airport and a key bridge serving the Islamist stronghold of Gao in a major boost to a 16-day-old offensive to rout al-Qaeda-linked rebels from Mali's sprawling desert north. The stunning advance came as the extremist...

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China 'must modernise' before global role

CHINA'S new leadership will focus on modernising the country before it increases Beijing's role in international affairs, a top official has told the Davos forum. Senior Chinese planning official Zhang Xiaoqiang told economic and business leaders...

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Suicide attack kills 'several' in Kunduz

A SUICIDE attack has killed several Afghan officials and civilians in a crowded area of the northeast city of Kunduz. Officials among the victims included "the city's counter terrorism police chief and head of traffic police chief", the Kunduz...

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Former premier leads in Czech vote

LEFT-LEANING former prime minister Milos Zeman is leading in the race for the largely ceremonial post of Czech president. With the votes from more than 50 per cent of polling stations counted on Saturday, the outspoken Zeman was leading with...

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NATO missile defence in Turkey operational

THE first of six Patriot missile batteries being deployed to Turkey to protect against attack from Syria has been declared operational and placed under Turkish command, NATO says. The battery, provided by the Netherlands, is meant to protect...

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Kyrgyzstan tougher on bride-kidnapping

THE president of Kyrgyzstan has approved legislation toughening the penalty for the broadly practiced custom of bride-kidnapping. President Almazbek Atamabyev's office said in a statement on its website on Saturday that sentences for forcing...

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Southeast braces for deluge threat

Aerials of flooding between Gracemere and Rockhampton, central Queensland. PIC: Peter Wallis Source: The Courier-Mail SOUTHEAST Queensland is bracing itself for its worst weather event since 2011, prompting a rush release of millions of litres...

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Russia backs nationwide 'anti-gay' bill

RUSSIA'S parliament has given initial backing to a controversial bill banning homosexual "propaganda" among minors that could lead to gays being fined for demonstrating or kissing in public. The vote on the first reading was to be held only...

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Egypt police fire tear gas in Alexandria

POLICE in the Egyptian city of Alexandria have fired tear gas at protesters, witnesses say, as nationwide rallies mark the second anniversary of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Clashes erupted in two neighbourhoods of Egypt's second...

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Obama picks new chief of staff

US President Barack Obama has chosen trusted adviser and national security expert Denis McDonough as his fifth chief of staff. A White House official said in a statement that Obama will announce McDonough's appointment on Friday. McDonough,...

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Indonesia tries to control flooding

INDONESIAN authorities will use generators and cloud-seeding measures to defuse and push away rain-laden clouds to avoid more flooding that has paralysed Jakarta, an official says. Heavy rain over the mega-city last week caused 32 deaths and...

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P&G outlook boost helps US stocks

US stocks have opened higher helped by Procter & Gamble's 2.4 per cent gain after it beat quarterly earnings estimates and raised its outlook for 2013. Positive quarterly reports from Oshkosh (+14.8 per cent) and Halliburton (+4.6 per cent)...

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Oil prices climb on weak US dollar

GLOBAL oil prices have advanced, buoyed by a weakening US dollar, upbeat German economic data and gains on European stock markets, dealers said. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in March rose 41 cents to $US113.69 a barrel in London midday...

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Nepal colonel in UK court over torture

A COLONEL in Nepal's army will stand trial in Britain in June on charges of torture allegedly committed during the Himalayan nation's civil war. Colonel Kuma Lama appeared by video link from prison for a London court hearing on Thursday. The...

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Toyota, BMW focus on green technology

MOTOR vehicle manufacturers Toyota and BMW say they are working closely together to develop green technology. The companies said on Thursday they had reached binding agreements on several strategies. These include the possible joint development...

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Sony fined for UK cyber-attack data breach

ELECTRONICS giant Sony has been fined by Britain's data watchdog for a breach that compromised the personal information of millions of customers using PlayStation video games consoles. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said the April...

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Vic hospitals cancel 1300 operations

ELECTIVE surgery for 1300 patients across three Melbourne hospitals will reportedly be cancelled over the next five months as the fallout from $107 million in federal budget cuts continues. Western Health says 550 patients at the Western and...

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Fire rips through Hobart's Queens Domain

A LARGE fire is spreading from hilly bushland just northeast of Hobart's CBD. The fire was moving uphill from the northeast side of the Queens Domain, fanned by strong winds, Tasmania Police said at 10.30pm (AEDT) on Thursday. Motorists are...

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Apple's plunge hits Nasdaq

APPLE'S plunge on disappointing earnings has pulled the Nasdaq lower in opening trade, but the other key indices managed to stay in positive territory. Five minutes into trade on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 34.79 points,...

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Man set to be charged over Sydney shooting

A MAN is expected to be charged over the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man in broad daylight in Sydney's southwest. Joshua George died after being shot once to the chest at Claymore about 1.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday. After the shooting, police...

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US stocks open higher after solid earnings

US stocks opened higher on Wednesday following solid earnings reports from leading technology companies. Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 43.23 points (0.32 per cent) at 13,755.44. The broad-based S&P 500...

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Clinton warns of rising militancy

SECRETARY of State Hillary Clinton warned of the challenges posed by rising militancy after the Arab Spring as she appeared before US politicians to be grilled about a deadly attack. "Benghazi didn't happen in a vacuum," Clinton said at the start...

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Bolivia bus crash kills 25: police

A BUS missed a curve on a road in southwestern Bolivia on Wednesday, causing an accident that killed 25 people and injured 30 others, police told a local radio station. Major Rufo Munoz, the chief of the traffic police in Potosi, said the bus...

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Global internet hit 2012 speed bump: study

GLOBAL internet connection speeds around the world slowed in late 2012, according to a survey released on Thursday that suggested a temporary stall in broadband gains. Akamai Technologies' third quarter State of the Internet report also showed...

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Global growth not so spritely: IMF

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expecting a more gradual upturn in global economic growth during 2013 than forecast three months ago. But it says policy actions in Europe and the United States have lowered the acute risk of a broader...

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IMF outlook cause for optimism: Swan

THE latest International Monetary Fund global economic update underscores the remarkable resilience of the Australian economy, Treasurer Wayne Swan says. The IMF is predicting a more gradual upturn in global economic growth during 2013 than...

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Iraq suicide bomb at mosque kills 42

A SUICIDE bomber made his way into a Shi'ite mosque north of Baghdad and blew himself up in the middle of a packed funeral on Wednesday, killing 42 people and leaving corpses scattered across the floor. The attack, the deadliest in six months,...

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Tobacconists march against EU smoking rule

THOUSANDS of tobacconists from across Europe have marched on European Union headquarters to protest against a planned EU crackdown on smoking that includes gruesome health warnings placarded on packets. From Austria, Germany and Poland, but most...

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Water shut off to Chilean capital

MORE than two million people in the Chilean capital are without drinking water because of contamination in a river that supplies the city with water, officials say. Water was shut down to more than 593,000 homes in the metropolitan area of Santiago,...

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Liberia's Taylor begins war crimes appeal

LIBERIAN warlord Charles Taylor has begun his appeal against a 50-year prison sentence handed down by Sierra Leone's UN-backed special court for fuelling the west African nation's savage civil war. Taylor, wearing a black suit, white shirt and...

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Blast at African sorcerer's house kills 5

POLICE in Zimbabwe say they are investigating a massive explosion at a tribal sorcerer's house outside the capital, Harare. Police officials said on Tuesday the blast killed five people. The sorcerer, often known in the West as a witchdoctor,...

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UN laments Iran execution of juvenile

THE UN rights body has harshly criticised Iran for reportedly executing a man who was only 17 at the time of his alleged crime. "The death penalty cannot be imposed for crimes committed by persons below 18 years of age," insisted Cecile Pouilly,...

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Mozilla unveils preview smartphones

THE Mozilla Foundation has unveiled two preview smartphones as it invited developers to try its new open-source mobile operating system challenging Apple's iOS and Google's Android. The announcement on Tuesday marked a major step forward for...

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US stocks open higher on mixed earnings

US stocks opened higher on Tuesday after the long holiday weekend following mixed earnings reports from leading companies. Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.03 points (0.01 per cent) at 13,650.73. The broad-based...

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Iran helps Syria build paramilitary force

PRESIDENT Bashar al-Assad's regime has put together a new paramilitary force of men and women, some trained by key ally Iran, to fight what is now becoming a guerrilla war, a watchdog says. The force, dubbed the National Defence Army, gathers...

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Stubborn streak got nurse out of Algeria

A FRENCH nurse caught up in the Algeria hostage crisis has revealed how the fear of being raped and an overwhelming determination "not to submit to terrorists" ensured she survived. The nurse, identified only as Muriel, escaped from the gas complex...

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Crowds gather for Obama inauguration

CROWDS are gathering in Washington for President Barack Obama's inauguration. Rhenda Phillips-Sanders, 55, who travelled from Shreveport, Louisiana, for the inauguration, is carrying the same enthusiasm that brought her there four years ago. ...

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Filmmaker Michael Winner dies at 77

THE British filmmaker behind Death Wish, restaurant critic and bon vivant Michael Winner, has died at the age of 77. Winner's wife Geraldine says he died on Monday at his London home after an illness. Winner's 30 movies included three Death...

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Japan PM confirms 7 deaths in Algeria

JAPAN'S prime minister says seven Japanese people are now known to have been killed in the Algerian hostage crisis, the first confirmation from Tokyo that any of its nationals died. "I was informed by vice-foreign minister (Minoru) Kiuchi that...

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Berlusconi verdict after Italy elections

THE verdict in former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's trial for underage sex will not come before the February elections, a court in northern Italy says. The decision marks a partial victory for the media magnate, who will be a candidate...

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37 foreigners killed in Algeria attack

ALGIERS says 37 foreigners of eight different nationalities, as well as an Algerian, were killed by hostage-takers in a well-planned attack on a remote gas plant. Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal says five other foreigners are still missing and...

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Trouble going from A to bees

A MAN was left in a sticky situation in north Queensland last night after he crashed his car while towing bee hives. The man was towing a horse float full of hives on Wooroona Rd at Ravenshoe, 125km south-west of Cairns, when he crashed about...

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Syria opposition seeks deal on PM-in-exile

SYRIA'S opposition umbrella group, which most Western and Arab powers opposed to the Damascus regime have recognised, is meeting in Istanbul in a bid to name a prime minister-in-exile, one of its leaders says. The Syrian National Coalition is...

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Assad's mother in Dubai: Syrians

ANISA Makhluf, the mother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has left the war-torn country and joined her daughter in Dubai, expatriates in the United Arab Emirates and an activist say. Makhluf has been living next to her daughter, Bushra, the...

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Gillard speech to have China, cyber focus

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard will reportedly seek to boost Labor's defence credentials in a speech singling out China and cyber attacks as key security concerns. Ms Gillard will make the comments in her first important speech of the election...

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IMF chief urges Greece to carry out reform

NO additional measures would be necessary for Greece if it carries out the reforms under its bailout program, IMF chief Christine Lagarde says. "But if the structural reforms are not carried out ... then more cuts would be necessary," the head...

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Legal challenge to Manus launched in PNG

A LEGAL challenge to Australia's asylum seeker processing centre on Manus Island has been launched by Papua New Guinea's opposition. Lawyers acting for PNG Opposition Leader Belden Namah filed a summons with the National Court on Friday. Mr...

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Too much money spent on fires: researcher

AN Australian researcher has suggested too much money is being spent on bushfire prevention and more lives could be saved if some of that money goes elsewhere. Insurance researcher Brian Ashe concedes his findings might upset some people, but...

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