HOME  INTERNATIONAL

Sudan warplanes launch first attack on S Sudan town

Sudanese warplanes launched their first attack on a major South Sudanese town on Thursday, as border clashes escalated in the third straight day of violence and fears of all-out war grew. Full story

---

24 killed as bus, truck collide in China

Twenty-four people were killed and two injured Thursday when a bus and truck collided in China, local authorities said, in an incident highlighting the treacherous conditions on the nation’s roads. Full story

---

Iran, West meet today for fresh nuclear talks

Western powers and Iran are meeting again on Saturday to hash out Tehran’s promised ‘new initiatives’ on its nuclear activities, albeit with little hope in the West for a breakthrough in the deadlock. Full story

---

Mali new leader threatens rebels with ‘total war’

Mali’s new leader threatened to wage total war on Tuareg rebels and Islamists controlling the north of the country as he took the oath of office Thursday, ending a brief period of military rule. Full story

---

Middle East mediators seek to revive Israel-Palestine peace talks

Middle East peace mediators on Wednesday criticised Israeli settlement building and called on donors to meet aid pledges to the Palestinians as they sought to revive moribund peace talks. Full story

---

Indian Maoist rebels free Italian tour guide

Indian Maoist rebels freed an Italian tour guide on Thursday, almost a month after kidnapping him in a remote part of the state of Orissa in what was believed to be the first seizure of a foreigner by the leftist guerrillas. Full story

---

18 jailed for life over India’s 2002 religious riots

A court in India on Thursday sentenced 18 men to life imprisonment over the killing of 23 Muslims during religious riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002 that left more than 2,000 dead. Full story

---

UAE recalls envoy to Iran in islands row

The United Arab Emirates recalled its ambassador to Tehran on Thursday, state news agency WAM reported, after having protested over a visit by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to a disputed island. Full story

---

Five dead in massive Indonesian quake

Five people died and at least seven were injured as massive earthquakes struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra island, officials said Thursday. They said they believed at least two people died of heart... Full story

---

Two strong quakes strike off Mexico

Two strong earthquakes struck off Mexico’s Pacific coast within 10 minutes of each other Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Full story

---

S Korea’s conservatives win parliamentary polls

South Korea’s ruling conservatives have won a parliamentary poll fought mostly on economic issues, with analysts saying voters opted for stability ahead of a presidential election in December. Full story

---

US-Afghan talks face tough hurdle over troops

Washington and Kabul have hailed breakthroughs towards signing a treaty on relations after 2014 -- but it will not cover the crucial issue of the status of any US troops remaining in Afghanistan. Full story

---

Egypt’s Brotherhood raises stakes by excluding IMF

In all but ruling out an early agreement on an IMF loan, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has dramatically raised the stakes in its struggle with the army-led administration for control of a country still reeling from a year... Full story

---

British PM calls for world to ‘get behind’ Myanmar

The British prime minister, David Cameron, Thursday called on the international community to ‘get behind’ burgeoning reforms in Myanmar ahead of his scheduled historic visit to the country. Full story

---

North Korea opens 5-day launch window for rocket

North Korea’s five-day window to launch a rocket opened on Thursday with Asian countries on alert, as Washington told G8 world powers that the communist state was in flagrant violation of a UN ban. Full story

---