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India restores power, minister promises action

India restored its power supplies on Wednesday after two days of massive outages that blacked out half the country, but fears remained that the grid could collapse again under the strain of over-demand. Full story

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Police tell Team Anna to hospitalise fasting activists

Delhi police on Wednesday advised Team Anna to immediately hospitalise Arvind Kejriwal and two other fasting activists and warned that the organisers will be ‘squarely responsible’ if anything... Full story

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China says Japan defence report ‘irresponsible’

Beijing has dismissed concerns raised in a Japanese government report over China’s military activity as ‘groundless’ and ‘irresponsible’, adding it had raised formal objections with Tokyo. Full story

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Philippine floods worsen as death toll hits 14

Waves swept over seawalls and flooded shanty towns in the Philippine capital on Wednesday as the death toll from four days of storms that have battered large swathes of the country rose to 14. Full story

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Child abuse disrupts brain, may cause depression

Children who suffer or witness physical abuse undergo changes to their brain structure that may predispose them to depression and substance abuse later in life, a study said Wednesday. Full story

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Taiwan on alert as typhoon Saola approaches

Taiwan issued torrential rain and strong wind warnings for most of the island on Wednesday as slow-moving Typhoon Saola approached, and put its military on standby as the risk of landslides and flooding grew. Full story

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Taliban executes four Afghans ‘for Western links’

Taliban insurgents near the Afghan capital Kabul executed four civilians working for a Western security company, officials said Wednesday, days after a similar execution in the area. Full story

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Gaddafi son pleads for ICC trial

Slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son Seif al-Islam believes he should be tried before the International Criminal Court if justice is to be served, his lawyers said Tuesday. Full story

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Pakistan tells India Mumbai evidence not valid

Islamabad has told New Delhi that recently obtained evidence of the Mumbai attacks is inadmissible in court because Pakistanis were not allowed to cross-examine Indian officials, a Pakistani.. Full story

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Novelist Gore Vidal dies

US novelist Gore Vidal, the iconoclastic commentator on American life and history in works such as ‘Lincoln’ and ‘Myra Breckinridge,’ died Tuesday at age 86, his family said. Full story

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Interpol refuses to issue red warrant against Musharraf

The Interpol headquarters rejected Pakistan’s request to issue a red warrant against former president and army chief Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case, DawnNews reported on Wednesday. Full story

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Flood-hit N Koreans need drinking water

North Koreans hit by recent deadly floods badly need drinking water, food and medical assistance, an aid group said Wednesday after official media had reported 88 dead and nearly 63,000 homeless. Full story

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China mudslides kill 16

Mudslides that buried an iron ore mine in northwestern China have killed at least 16 people, with another 12 still missing a day after the disaster, state media reported on Wednesday. Full story

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Romania crisis drags, media urge end to ‘political warfare’

Romania’s biggest newspaper appealed the country’s leaders to end their ‘political warfare’ as the ruling coalition made a new bid to influence the results of a referendum to impeach the president. Full story

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July deadliest month in nearly two years: Iraq

July was the deadliest month in Iraq in almost two years, with 325 people killed in attacks, official figures released on Wednesday showed, and included the deadliest day since December 2009. Full story

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Schools shut after 8 killed in Sudan demo

Sudanese authorities closed schools in Darfur’s largest city on Wednesday after at least eight people, many reportedly teenagers, were killed in the worst violence since Arab Spring-style demonstrations began. Full story

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Blast hits military intelligence department in east Libya

A bomb blast shook the department of military intelligence in the eastern city of Benghazi early Wednesday, causing material damage to the building, Libyan security sources said. Full story

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Chavez declares lead ‘irreversible’ ahead of vote

The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, said Tuesday he has an ‘irreversible’ advantage over his rival, Henrique Capriles, in the upcoming October 7 election. ‘The advantage we hold, according to serious... Full story

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Romney returns home, VP pick, bus tour await

White House challenger Mitt Romney pivoted away from his gaffe-riddled foreign foray Tuesday to refocus on the home front, as his campaign confirmed a mid-August bus tour fueling speculation he could soon... Full story

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