Global News

Russian investigators claim they found hard drugs on board the Greenpeace “Arctic Sunrise” ship seized during a protest against arctic oil drilling last month.  Some are worrying it’s another sign showing Vladimir Putin’s Russia is lurching deeper in to the sort of unreasonable oppression not seen since Soviet times.

Six workers at Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor were doused with highly radioactive water, the latest in a string of accidents that highlight the extremely precarious situation at the troubled facility.

The US denies Libya’s denunciations – Italy’s PM is heckled at the scene of a massive immigrant tragedy – Critics say a South American leader is seeking dictatorial powers.

The United States is suspending a large part of the more than A$1.3 Billion in military and economic aid to Egypt until “credible progress” is made towards the restoration of free and fair elections.  And it’s not sitting well with America’s closest ally in the region.

There is indignity and investigations in Mexico, after an indigenous woman was forced to give birth on the lawn of a medical clinic because a nurse inside had turned her away.  It’s striking a nerve in a country where poor women still die giving birth, and where indigenous people suffer discrimination.

The editor of the UK’s Guardian Newspaper says he plans to published more revelations about US and UK spying from the trove of intelligence secrets smuggled out of America by fugitive leaker Edward Snowden – and this is despite warning from the new head of Britain’s MI5.

After intense lobbying from the tobacco companies, the European Parliament is watering down legislation that could have been the world’s toughest anti-tobacco laws to dissuade young people from lighting up cigarettes.

US President Barack Obama and the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) each issued separate warnings to ultra-conservatives in congress who may or may not understand that they are playing with fire in holding up raising the US debt limit.

This week could end with the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to its youngest-ever recipient, 16-year old childrens’ education champion Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban exactly one year ago today (Wednesday, 9 October).  Now, the Taliban is threatening to try again.

Survivors the families of victims of the deadly Cholera Epidemic in Haiti are suing the United Nations for billions of dollars for covering up its role in starting the worst outbreak of the deadly disease in modern history.  And they’re getting a boost from a top UN official.

In the latest in a series of deadly incidents at Bangladeshi garment factories, at least nine people were killed an about 50 were injured when flames overran a clothing operation in Gazipur, northwest of the Capital Dhaka.

Obama seeks to break ground with his choice for one of the world’s most powerful economic gigs – CFK recovers after Brain Surgery – Europe plans new, Mediterranean-wide patrols to stop immigrant boat disasters – And China warns Australia.

With just six months left in office, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is lashing out against the US-led NATO presence for failing to bring stability to his country after more than a decade there, and allegedly causing “great suffering”.

The United States Government shutdown will start to hit the people who fought for it:  Starting Tuesday, the Veterans Affairs Department will shut down regional offices and furlough 7,000 workers who would rather be helping America’s warriors.

As concerns grow for the health and well being of the “Arctic 30”, 28 Greenpeace activists and two reporters charged with piracy in Russia, vigils were held around the world calling for their safe release.

An experimental malaria vaccine from drug maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) hasn’t worked as well as hoped in clinical tests, but it does provide some protection.  So the company will seek European regulatory approval for what could be the world’s first vaccine against the parasite-caused tropical killer.

In a landmark ruling against hate speech, a Japanese court is ordering a nationalist group to pay damages to a Korean school for staging loud and nasty protests against a Korean school in Kyoto.  It turns out that calling people “cockroaches” and threatening to “throw then into the sea” isn’t “freedom of expression” after all.

Brain surgery for a popular President – New details of spying against Brazil irks officials – Sarkozy is cleared of allegedly taking mony from an addled 90-year old – And a scientific breakthrough might be amazing.. you be the judge.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frequently warns the world of the dangers of Iran, particularly a nuclear-armed Iran.  But he may have revealed that he doesn’t know much about his Middle Eastern rival, claiming a “free country” would allow its people to wear jeans and listen to western music.  Which young Iranians pretty much do all the time.  And they rubbed it in.

Before leaving for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) conference in Bali, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a plea that many in the world were waiting for:  He’s asking for international help in dealing with the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi power plant, where three reactors melted through in 2011.