Iowa before Xi’s visit

THE WEEK Feb 10: Halftime hazards

Asia-Pacific

Romantic underwater performance

Asians most discriminated against in NZ

A survey has found for the 10th consecutive year that people perceive Asian New Zealanders as the most discriminated against ethnic group.
India test-fires interceptor missile

India Friday successfully test- fired a home-made supersonic interceptor missile off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha.
India ministers quit over sex video

Three Indian politicians from a morally conservative party, including a women's affairs minister, resigned.

Brazil's Lula declared cancer-free after exam

Music world unites in tribute to Whitney

Musicians, producers and fans on Sunday paid tribute to US soul diva Whitney Houston, hailing her as an inspirational figure.
Argentina, Britain spat over disputed islets

Senior diplomats from Argentina and Britain on Friday traded accusations over the contested Malvinas Islands at separate press conferences held at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Obama compromises on birth control rule

Obama announced a compromise aimed at soothing the concerns of some religious organizations over a new rule requiring most religious-affiliated employers to provide free birth control coverage.

Eurozone defers decision on bailout

Protesters encircle Greek parliament

Tension is flaring in Greece as thousands of protesters encircled the parliament Sunday afternoon ahead of a crucial vote after midnight on the new debt deal reached with international lenders last week to avoid a Greek default next month.
Russian Navy to update nuclear fleet

The Russian Navy will receive at least 10 new Borey class strategic nuclear submarines by 2020, Kommersant Daily said Tuesday.
French flights partly disrupted by strike

More than 10 percent flights were disrupted as French aviation workers on Monday staged a nationwide four-day strike.

Yemen's Saleh signs deal to quit

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a deal on Wednesday under which he will step down after 33 years in power and 10 months of protests against his rule that brought the country to the brink of civil war.

World population hits 7 billion

Afghanistan:
A decade of war

Afghanistan marks 10 years since the start of the US-led war against the Taliban Friday amid heightened security and questions over what the next decade will hold.

Apple's Jobs dead at 56

Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, died on Wednesday at the age of 56.

First Boeing Dreamliner

All Nippon Airways' first Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down in Tokyo early on Wednesday with hundreds of aviation fans welcoming the carbon-composite plane.

9/11 ten years on

What to do on last day of Earth?

Zhu Yuan

The importance of people-first principle

Chen Weihua

Revealing tale of two Washingtons

Op Rana

There is more to Iran than meets the eye

Japan's economy contracted an annualized real 2.3 percent in the three months starting in October, marking the first fall in two quarters.

China urges Iran to work with IAEA

Visiting Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu has urged Iran to enhance cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran to stage new military drills

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force has planned to carry out new military exercises by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (starting March 20).

Greek parliament approves debt deal

Greek parliament approved by a two thirds majority a new austerity deal for a second bailout loans from EU and International Monetary Fund creditors.

Middle East

Clinton, Israeli FM discuss Iran, peace talks

Netanyahu says Abbas prefers Hamas

Israeli Primer Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday harshly criticized the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas.
Iran to stage new ground military drills

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force has planned to carry out new military exercises by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (starting March 20).
Arabs ask UN to form joint force for Syria

The Arab League Sunday called on the United Nations to form a joint UN-AL peacekeeping force for Syria, according to a resolution adopted by Arab foreign ministers in Cairo.

Abducted Chinese workers released in Sudan

Cape Town becomes S Africa's drug capital

With an awful lot of drugs available, Cape Town has become "the drug capital of South Africa".
7 killed in S Africa bus collision

A minibus collided with a car in the central South African province of Free State.
Kidnapped Chinese workers safe

Twenty-nine Chinese nationals abducted by local rebels in Sudan last month arrived Tuesday afternoon at the Wilson Airport in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

Romantic underwater performance

A survey has found for the 10th consecutive year that people perceive Asian New Zealanders as the most discriminated against ethnic group.

India Friday successfully test- fired a home-made supersonic interceptor missile off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha.

Three Indian politicians from a morally conservative party, including a women's affairs minister, resigned.

Brazil's Lula declared cancer-free after exam

Musicians, producers and fans on Sunday paid tribute to US soul diva Whitney Houston, hailing her as an inspirational figure.

Senior diplomats from Argentina and Britain on Friday traded accusations over the contested Malvinas Islands at separate press conferences held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Obama announced a compromise aimed at soothing the concerns of some religious organizations over a new rule requiring most religious-affiliated employers to provide free birth control coverage.

Eurozone defers decision on bailout

Tension is flaring in Greece as thousands of protesters encircled the parliament Sunday afternoon ahead of a crucial vote after midnight on the new debt deal reached with international lenders last week to avoid a Greek default next month.

The Russian Navy will receive at least 10 new Borey class strategic nuclear submarines by 2020, Kommersant Daily said Tuesday.

More than 10 percent flights were disrupted as French aviation workers on Monday staged a nationwide four-day strike.

Columnists

Japan's economy contracted an annualized real 2.3 percent in the three months starting in October, marking the first fall in two quarters.

Clinton, Israeli FM discuss Iran, peace talks

Israeli Primer Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday harshly criticized the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force has planned to carry out new military exercises by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (starting March 20).

The Arab League Sunday called on the United Nations to form a joint UN-AL peacekeeping force for Syria, according to a resolution adopted by Arab foreign ministers in Cairo.

Abducted Chinese workers released in Sudan

With an awful lot of drugs available, Cape Town has become "the drug capital of South Africa".

A minibus collided with a car in the central South African province of Free State.

Twenty-nine Chinese nationals abducted by local rebels in Sudan last month arrived Tuesday afternoon at the Wilson Airport in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

Kaleidoscope

Newsmakers

Newspaper