Possible successors to Japan PM Kan
Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced he would resign as head of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.
Predators and MRAPS: the military's post-9/11 era
The September 11 attacks ushered in a new era of warfare, with the United States relying on a new fleet of robotic aircraft and elite special forces with high-tech gear.
'Sugar Babies': Internet 'dating' for money
Pretty young women and older men of means -- 'sugar babies' and 'sugar daddies' -- are pairing up thanks to a US website.
Religious violence, abuse growing: world study
Religious-linked violence and abuse rose around the world between 2006 and 2009, with Christians and Muslims the most common targets.
US financial power hides deep economic problems
US financial power, which gives the dollar nearly untouchable status, hides structural problems in the world's biggest economy: debt, de-industrialization, inequality and a loss of competitiveness.
Hamstrung NGOs strive to help drought-hit Somalis
Somalia's hardline rebels may have spared a handful of NGOs from their ban on foreign relief workers.
Federalism or retreat? Eurozone is divided over its future
The eurozone now faces stark choices for its future: a radical leap towards federalism or a step backwards in the European project.
In Iceland, hunters and watchers battle over whales
A slick black head breaks the surface, drawing delighted shrieks from whale watchers in a growing, and lucrative activity.
After the ash, Iceland volcano rakes in tourism cash
Iceland's volcanoes gained notoriety for their ability to ground airlines. But they also draw tourists eager to see the source of the chaos.
India's unsolved bombings
Explosions in Mumbai ticked a wearily familiar list of boxes in a country which is no stranger to bombings that go unclaimed.
German grannies take up new calling as 'Mary Poppins'
In Germany the idea of a teenager spending a months abroad looking after children while she studies has given rise to a new concept.
Mongolia mining success brings booming sex trade
Prostitution is illegal in Mongolia, but the sex industry is booming, due in part to the explosion of the country's mining sector.
Belgium's highways shine into space - but for how long?
When Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne feels homesick when in space, all he needs to do, provided it's night, is look down for the bright spot for even nowadays, Belgium keeps its highways switched on. The almost 100 percent illumination of the country's highways can indeed be seen from space with a telescopic lens, said European Space Agency (ESA) spokesman in the German city of Cologne.
Key facts on Australia's carbon tax
Australia has released details of the nation's long-awaited carbon tax, which the government hopes to move to an emissions trading scheme after three years.
US veteran fighting fit at 59 in Afghan war
Who says soldiering is a young man's game? Staff Sergeant Eric Ferguson joined the US army in 1973 and -- now approaching his 60th birthday -- he is still on active duty, leading distribution convoys through some of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan.
Star trio facing life after Harry Potter
The stars of the Harry Potter films each face the tricky task of forging a new career as the series comes to an end.
Iconic Mexican bar is oasis in crime central
The Kentucky Club & Grill in Ciudad Juarez remains an oasis of calm in a city considered the most dangerous on the planet.
Growing urban population strains Chinese cities
A forest of buildings and cranes rises through thick fog above roads jammed with cars in a Chinese city the size of Austria and home to more than 32 million people.
Tokyo, the megacity that works
On a satellite image of the Earth at night, there is no brighter spot. Greater Tokyo, home to an astonishing 35 million people, is by far the biggest urban area on the planet.