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Socialist Hollande new French president

A victorious Francois Hollande faces a short honeymoon after his election as France’s first left-wing president in 17 years, with financial markets eager for clear signals on his policies and how hard he plans to push back against German-led austerity. Full story

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Hillary presses India to cut Iran oil imports

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, on Monday urged India to further cut its imports of Iranian oil, saying that the Islamic republic posed a major threat if it developed nuclear weapons. Hillary commended India for lowering its purchases but called for more as a... Full story

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Syria holds legislative vote snubbed by opposition

Syrians were voting on Monday in the first ‘multiparty’ parliamentary elections in five decades, being held against a backdrop of violence and dismissed as a sham by the opposition. Long queues formed in... Full story

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India launches anti-trust probe into Google

The Competition Commission of India said Monday it had launched an anti-trust probe into Google’s online advertising practices, deepening the internet giant’s legal woes in the country. SL Bunker, the secretary of... Full story

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Afghan woman sets sights on presidency in man’s land

Leading Afghan women’s rights champion, author, lawmaker and presidential hopeful, Fawzia Koofi, has a revealing anecdote about life as a woman in a man’s land. As she walked out of the Presidential... Full story

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S Korea, US air forces launch major drill

South Korea and the United States on Monday launched a major joint air exercise to deter North Korean provocations amid high cross-border tensions, officials said. The annual drill called ‘Max Thunder’ will run... Full story

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‘Made in space’ coming soon to a product near you

The European Space Agency is hatching plans for a branding campaign aimed at making people more aware of the benefits of spending their hard-earned taxes on the International Space Station. Full story

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Man beheaded for killing wife in KSA

Saudi Arabia on Monday beheaded one of its citizens accused of killing his wife, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA. Abdullah Adawi suffocated his wife Rihab Harithi, also a... Full story

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Militants behead two Pak soldiers

Two Pakistani soldiers have been beheaded after being captured during fighting with Islamist militants in North Waziristan that killed nine other security personnel, officials said Monday. Full story

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Pakistan dragging its feet on Mumbai mastermind: Hillary

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said on Monday that Pakistan had not taken enough action against Hafiz Saeed, the Islamist blamed for masterminding the 2008 attack by Pakistan-based gunmen on... Full story

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Flash floods kill 26 at Afghan wedding

At least 26 people were killed and more than 100 were missing after flash floods hit a wedding party in northern Afghanistan, an official said Monday. Most of the victims were women and children as the floods... Full story

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Putin returns to Kremlin under protest shadow

Vladimir Putin began a historic third term as Russian president Monday in an opulent Kremlin ceremony shadowed by a second day of arrests of activists protesting his 12-year domination of Russia. Putin, head of state from 2000-2008 and then prime minister, took over... Full story

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Israel court rejects hunger strikers’ appeals

Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by two Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 69 days in protest at being held without charge, their lawyer said. Full story

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Cameron admits neglecting human cost of downturn

British prime minster David Cameron on Monday said his party’s focus on economic facts and figures rather than the human costs of recession led to his party’s mauling at last week’s local elections. Full story

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Armenia ruling party wins parliamentary elections

Armenia’s governing party on Monday won parliamentary elections seen as a test of the ex-Soviet state’s fragile democracy but opposition leaders alleged violations and vowed protests. Full story

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