Panetta to tout US shift to Asia at ASEAN defence talks
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will outline Washington's strategic shift to the Pacific and a tentative rapprochement with Myanmar.
Gaza conflict adds tension to Palestinian UN bid
Israel's air strikes on the Gaza Strip have heightened the tensions surrounding the Palestinian bid for observer membership at the United Nations planned for later this month.
Britain should withdraw from Afghanistan 'quickly': Ashdown
Britain should accept defeat and move all of its soldiers out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible, former Liberal Democrat party leader Paddy Ashdown wrote in Friday's The Times newspaper.
Putin, Merkel seek to soothe Germany-Russia tensions
German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday with the two sides seeking to soothe tensions over Berlin's recent criticism of the Russian record on rights.
Singapore eases death penalty policy
The Singapore parliament has passed legal reforms abolishing mandatory death sentences in some drug trafficking and murder cases, giving fresh hope to dozens of inmates awaiting execution.
Sierra Leone to vote in litmus test for post-war democracy
Sierra Leoneans vote on Saturday in the country's third election since the end of a brutal civil war, a high-stakes poll billed as a litmus test of the mineral-rich nation's democratic credentials.
Romney breaks silence in bitter broadside at Obama
Mitt Romney, in his first remarks since an unexpectedly lopsided election loss to Barack Obama, blamed his defeat Wednesday on "gifts" showered by the president on his female, African-American and Hispanic supporters.
Death sparks criticism of Irish abortion laws
Ireland's tough abortion laws came under fire on Wednesday following the death of an Indian woman after doctors allegedly refused her a termination because it was against the laws of the Catholic country.
Kazakhstan and Pakistan agreed on military cooperation
The memorandum of cooperation was signed at the meeting of Kazakhstan Defense Minister with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Kazakhstan.