Former Chinese official sheds light on dark side of power
"Politics is an ugly business," says an official in Chinese author Wang Xiaofang's novel, The Civil Servant's Notebook. "You always need to keep a knife in reserve, even for your own boss."
Cuba eases despised foreign travel restrictions
Cubans will no longer need an exit permit to travel abroad from January, the communist regime said on Tuesday, in a major overhaul of a half-century-old policy despised by the island's citizens.
Australia PM misogyny speech sparks dictionary rethink
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's fiery speech calling the opposition leader a misogynist on Wednesday prompted a leading dictionary to broaden its definition of the word.
17 October 2012 15:57
Fukushima panel chief hopes for change in Japan
The head of a hard-hitting panel that blamed cultural factors for the Fukushima nuclear disaster voiced hope Tuesday that the tragedy would help open up Japan's system of government.
Scotland secures terms for 2014 independence vote
Britain's prime minister and Scotland's first minister have fired the starting gun on a two-year campaign for the hearts and minds of Scottish voters ahead of an independence referendum to be held in 2014.
Travel ban sought against S. Korea president's son
A South Korean special prosecutor has asked for President Lee Myung-Bak's son to be banned from leaving the country while he probes alleged irregularities in a project to build Lee's retirement home.
US charges Iran with 'economic mismanagement'
The US on Monday accused Iran of extreme economic mismanagement as biting sanctions wreak havoc on the Iranian economy, and the European Union agreed a new slew of moves against the regime.
Clinton to boost women's entrepreneurship in Peru
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Peru on Monday to push for greater access for women to capital and know-how to start their own businesses and become a motor for economic growth.