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Suicide blast kills nine as world powers discuss Syria

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden car outside security headquarters in Syria’s biggest eastern city on Saturday, killing nine people and wounding 100, state media said. Full story

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Obama action will ‘undermine’ NATO alliance: Romney

White House hopeful Mitt Romney urged NATO leaders gathering in Chicago this weekend to consider him a more reliable partner than president Barack Obama, whose actions ‘undermine’ the alliance. Full story

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Support for British monarchy at highest for decades: poll

Support for the monarchy in Britain is at its highest level for decades thanks to Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee and last year’s royal wedding, according to a new poll published Saturday. Full story

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Mamata calls students Maoists, storms out of live TV

The West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Friday lost her cool and stormed out of an interactive TV session here when members of audience asked her about the arrest of a professor for forwarding a... Full story

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Chen leaves China with family

Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng left China for the United States with his family on Saturday, the US State Department said. The departure of Chen brings to an end a month-long diplomatic... Full story

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Suu Kyi set to visit Ireland next month

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will visit Ireland next month during her first trip abroad in 24 years, a spokesman for Amnesty International Ireland said on Saturday. Full story

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Brazil’s Rousseff awarded torture compensation

The president, Dilma Rousseff, will receive $10,000 in reparations from Rio state for torture she was subjected to while jailed as a leftist guerrilla during Brazil’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship, her office said Friday. Full story

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Army-al-Qaeda battles kill 26 in Yeman

Clashes between al-Qaeda gunmen and the army have killed 26 people dead near the jihadists’ stronghold of Jaar, and a drone killed two in a strike on a militant vehicle, military and tribal sources said. Full story

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Tens of thousands rally in Taiwan against president

Tens of thousands of Taiwanese rallied in Taipei on Saturday to voice their anger at the president, Ma Ying-jeou, over a spate of controversial policies, on the eve of his inauguration for a second term. Full story

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‘Red Shirts’ in mass Bangkok rally

Up to 40,000 ‘Red Shirt’ supporters from across Thailand converged on central Bangkok Saturday to mark the second anniversary of a deadly crackdown on street protests, city police said. Full story

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Lanka marks anniversary of Tigers’ defeat

The Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapakse, on Saturday rejected international calls to withdraw troops from the island’s former war zone as he marked the third anniversary of the Tamil rebels’ defeat. Full story

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East Timor marks 10th anniversary

Former guerrilla leader and ex-army chief Taur Matan Ruak is to be sworn in as East Timor’s new president Saturday as the young democracy, devastated by decades of conflict, celebrates 10 years of... Full story

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Bruni had affair with new FM

Carla Bruni is facing embarrassing revelations about her past love affair with France’s new foreign minister, reports an Indian English language day newspaper Hindustan Times. Full story

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US lawmakers approve use of force as Iran option

The Republican-led House of Representatives approved Friday the use of US force against Iran if the Tehran regime threatens the United States and its allies with nuclear weapons. Full story

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Bomb at Italian school kills teenager

A bomb exploded in front of a girls’ school in southern Italy on Saturday, killing a 16-year-old girl and wounding seven others, suspicion quickly falling on the local Mafia. Full story

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Chavez says working less, getting better

The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, ended a week-long silence on Friday to say he was resting, following a diet and trying to tame his workaholic ways as he recovers from cancer treatment. Full story

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France’s unwed first lady pushes frontiers of G8 protocol

Valerie Trierweiler pushed the frontiers of US diplomatic protocol on Friday as she took her first steps as France’s new — and unmarried — first lady ahead of the G8 and NATO summits. Full story

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