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  Philippines' deadliest massacre tests government

  A few miles (kilometers) off the main highway, on a remote hilltop covered with waist-high grass, bodies lay with twisted hands reaching in the air. They had been shot point-blank.

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  China executes 2 for role in tainted milk scandal

  China executed a dairy farmer and a milk salesman Tuesday for their roles in the sale of contaminated baby formula — severe punishments that Beijing hopes will assuage public anger, reassure importers and put to rest one of the country's worst food safety crises.

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  Comatose for 23 years, Belgian feels reborn

  Helped by a therapist, Rom Houben's outstretched finger tapped with surprising speed on a computer touchscreen, spelling out how he felt "alone, lonely, frustrated" in the 23 years he was trapped inside a paralyzed body.

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  Wooing of Taliban fighters is dangerous game

  A battered taxi sped up a dusty road toward a squad of Afghan soldiers searching for bombs planted in the dirt. Army gunmen who had fanned out for protection readied for a suicide attacker. The car screeched to a halt.

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  France shows off cutting-edge navy ship in Russia

  French officers on Tuesday showed off a cutting-edge warship to a potential buyer — the Russian navy, whose pursuit of an amphibious assault capacity is frightening some neighboring countries.

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  Festival of mass animal sacrifice begins in Nepal

  The ceremony began with prayers in a temple by tens of thousands of Hindus before dawn Tuesday. Then it shifted to a nearby corral, where in the cold morning mist, scores of butchers wielding curved swords began slaughtering buffalo calves by hacking off their heads.

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  Icebergs head from Antarctica for New Zealand

  A flotilla of hundreds of icebergs that split off Antarctic ice shelves is drifting toward New Zealand and could pose a risk to ships in the south Pacific Ocean, officials said Tuesday.

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  Big Bang atom smasher starts speeding proton beams

  The world's largest atom smasher used its accelerator Tuesday to speed up proton beams for the first time as scientists moved ahead in efforts to learn more about the universe.

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  Furry felons rob SAfrican tourists, steal food

  Visitors to South Africa's premier holiday destination who are worried about becoming victims of the country's high crime rate could find themselves instead robbed by a more furry kind of felon: baboons.

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  Prisoner swap could win release of popular leader

  At the top of the list of Palestinian prisoners likely to be freed in a possible swap for an Israeli soldier is a firebrand politician many Palestinians believe is a likely future president who can pull them out of their current political deadlock.

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  Iran says needs guarantees to send uranium abroad

  Iran could consider sending its low-enriched uranium abroad, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, apparently softening its opposition to a U.N. plan aimed at keeping a check on its nuclear ambitions.

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  Netanyahu says Hamas prisoner deal may not happen

  An Israeli prisoner exchange with Hamas has not yet been agreed and may not happen, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, after a senior cabinet colleague predicted a breakthrough within weeks.

• Crew member killed in attack on tanker off Benin

  Pirates attacked an oil tanker off Benin, killing a Ukrainian crew member and stealing the contents of the ship's safe, the head of the West African country's navy said on Tuesday.

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  Iraq national vote unlikely in January

  Iraq will be unable to hold a national election in January as planned, a poll official said on Tuesday, heaping more uncertainty on a vote meant to cement democracy and pave the way for a partial U.S. troop withdrawal.

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  Venezuela opposition and Jews protest Iran visit

  Opposition parties and the Jewish community criticized a visit by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Venezuela, citing worries over his denial of the Holocaust, human rights violations and Iran's nuclear program.

• World Bank to start agriculture fund with $1.5 billion

  The World Bank will start a trust fund to boost agriculture in poor countries with an initial $1.5 billion, its president Robert Zoellick said on Tuesday, warning of the risk of another food price crisis.

• China executes two for tainted milk scandal

  China on Tuesday executed two people for their role in a tainted milk scandal that killed at least six children and further sullied the made-in-China brand.

• Soldiers kill 18 militants in Pakistan Khyber area

  Pakistani soldiers killed 18 militants on Tuesday in a campaign to break a network orchestrating attacks on Western forces' supplies to Afghanistan and carrying out bombings, a security official said.

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  WHO probing drug resistant swine flu

  The World Health Organization is looking into reports in Britain and the United States that the H1N1 flu may have developed resistance to Tamiflu in people with severely suppressed immune systems, a spokesman said Tuesday.

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  Escort's book describes night with Berlusconi

  The escort at the heart of a sex scandal involving Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gave graphic details of their alleged lovemaking in a book published on Tuesday and said she had been attacked and threatened since.

• Blair Out of Running as Europe Picks Top 2 Posts

  Leaders of the European Union seemed to be pulling away from naming a widely known figure in Europe’s presidential post, as Britain made a pitch for the new foreign policy job.

• Iraq Sentences Sunni Leader to Death

  A leader of the Sunni Awakening Council was sentenced to death for the murder of a girl, sparking charges that the Shiite-dominated government was targeting Sunnis.

• Russia Angry Over Ukraine Warnings on Gas Supply

  A dispute between Russia and Ukraine over natural gas supplies escalated on Thursday, with an aide to the Russian president calling Ukraine’s warnings of a possible gas crisis “political blackmail.”

• Pirates Off Africa Adapt to Survive

  Pirate attacks on shipping lanes around the Horn of Africa show no sign of relenting as the nations policing the seas struggle to find solutions to an increasingly long-term mission.

• No Cheering, No Parade

  This was not the inauguration of a popular president.

• Europe Haggles Over Filling Two Top Posts

  Facing a vote Thursday to finally pick a slate of new and more powerful leaders, the E.U. is falling back on old-fashioned deal-making that critics say may produce lackluster choices.

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  Suicide Attack Is Pakistani City’s 7th in 2 Weeks

  Militants killed 17 outside a courthouse in Peshawar on Thursday, the seventh attack in two weeks in the city.

• News Analysis: A Small Step to Bridging the Taiwan Strait

  The final details were minor compared with the substance of the financial cooperation deal between China and Taiwan, but carried significance of their own.

• On Assignment: Asia in the Blink of an Eye

  Stephen Crowley of The Times has found that just one frame is not enough to convey the cascading incongruities and harmonies of a presidential tour.

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  Karzai Sworn In for Second Term as Afghan President

  In his inaugural address, President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that the Afghan Army should assume full control of the country’s security within five years.

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  Hamas in talks on Shalit swap deal

  Reports say deal to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in return for release of Palestinian prisoners may be close at handIan Black: deal could herald big breakthroughSenior figures from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas were in Cairo today for talks on a deal to hand over an Israeli soldier capt...

• Key moments of the Iraq war inquiry's opening day

  Key factBritish officials discussed regime change in Iraq in an internal Foreign Office document written in 2001. It was one of several policy options floated and it was dismissed as having "no basisin law".

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  View from Baghdad on Iraq war inquiry

  In Iraq today the opening of the Chilcot inquiry was dismissed as "aimless soul searching". British troops left Iraq in April and were seen rarely for two years before that. To most Iraqis their legacy is far less significant than that of the US troops who continue to occupy the country almost seve...

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  Claims of UK turning a blind eye to torture impossible to ignore

  It does not look good for British agents when the case law most applicable for allegations against them comes from an international war crimes tribunal. But the concept of complicity in torture, a crme under the UN convention and domestic law, has not yet been considered by an English court.

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  Steve Bell: Iraq war inquiry - Britain heard US drumbeat for invasion before 9/11

  Evidence given on opening day suggests Blair's government initially dismissed plan to topple Saddam Hussein as unlawful

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  Hugh Muir's diary

  How the NHS and its data mash cost the poor taxpayer a wodge of cashOne of the sorrier deals in New Labour history has re-emerged to haunt one of David Cameron's close advisers. Clearing the decks, perhaps, before the election, the Department of Health is trying to offload its 50% share of Dr Foste...

• Editorial | Complicity in torture: Looking the other way

  Allegations about Britain's role in the torture of its own citizens in Pakistan are not new. They have been made persuasively by our own investigative reporting. What is new in the report published ysterday by Human Rights Watch is the corroboration it obtained from the torturers themselves.

• Michael White's political briefing | Britain under water: How the state responded

  In imperial China a surfeit of floods, famines and earthquakes was usually taken to signify that the mandate of heaven, a more conditional version of Europe's divine right of kings, had been withdraw from a particular emperor.

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  The floods can't keep Cockermouth down | Hunter Davies

  Flooding is frightening, but the people of Cumbria are resilientCockermouth is my local town, for half of each year anyway, for we have had a house at nearby Loweswater for 23 years. It's so weird tosee it constantly on the television – and constantly giving the wrong impression about itself.

• From the archive: Execution of the murderers of Brett

  Originally published on 25 November 1867[The three are commemorated in the city as the Manchester Martyrs, Brett as the first of its policemen to be killed on duty.]On Saturday morning, at eight o'clock, three of the men convicted at the recent special assizes of the wilful murder of Police Sergean...

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• Ayodhya report blames India's BJP

  An Indian report blames leading Hindu nationalist politicians for playing a role in the demolition in 1992 of the Ayodhya mosque.

• Swine flu 'will hit Hajj numbers'

  The number of pilgrims at this year's Hajj is expected to be lower because of swine flu fears, a Saudi official says.

• Pirates attack tanker off Benin

  Pirates have attacked an oil tanker off West Africa, killing a Ukrainian seaman, the commander of Benin's naval forces says.

• 'Come home'

  Vietnam urges its overseas diaspora to come back

• Spain holds youths over Eta links

  Spanish police hold at least 34 people in an operation against a banned youth group linked to radical Basque separatism.

• Climate cash is 'unaccounted for'

  Funds promised to developing countries to help tackle climate change are unaccounted for, a BBC investigation finds.

• Washington Post to shut bureaus

  The Washington Post daily newspaper says it is to shut its bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

• Iraq January vote 'not possible'

  Iraq will not be able to hold polls before the end of January as required by the constitution, electoral officials say.

• Trainee Mossad spy 'arrested by Israeli police'

  A trainee spy for Israel's Mossad secret service is arrested by Tel Aviv police while taking part in a training operation, media say.

• Federer prevails against Murray

  Roger Federer defeats Andy Murray 3-6 6-3 6-1 in an enthralling ATP World Tour Finals Group A match in London.

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  IED threat shadows Marines' every move

  Marines in Afghanistan confront the problem of improvised explosive devices with skill and intuition, while making an extra effort to avoid civilian casualties. A long, dusty road under a bright blu Afghan sky.

• Wary India seeks reassurance in U.S. visit

  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official visit to Washington will seek to reaffirm the importance of ties between the two nations. Today's summit between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and Pesident Obama is laden with symbols.

• Israel, Hamas said to be near deal on prisoner swap

  Israeli officials are tight-lipped as negotiators hammer out details in Cairo to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, being held by Hamas, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Expectations of a swap of hundreds of jailed Palestinian militants for an Israeli soldier held by Hamas soared...

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  At least 24 dead in Philippine election massacre

  The victims -- many of them beheaded -- include 13 women, who were among those accompanying an official's wife carrying papers to nominate him for governor. Reporting from Seoul and Zamboanga City, Philippines -- Twenty-four people were found dead in the southern Philippines after scores of gunmen...

• Obama's Afghanistan announcement may be soon

  Senior diplomats and Defense officials are reportedly scheduled to testify before Congress next week about the situation, raising expectations that a troop buildup will be announced. The Obama administration's leading war planners and diplomats are preparing to testify before Congress about the co...

• January election in Iraq? Doubtful

  Shiite Muslim and Kurdish wrangling over an election law will probably push the voting to February, violating Iraq's Constitution and jeopardizing Obama's vow to bring U.S. troops home by August 2010. Hopes for a January election in Iraq faded Monday after Shiite Muslim and Kurdish legislators tea...

• China sentences activist to 3 years

  Huang Qi was investigating the role shoddy school construction may have played in the deaths of thousands of children in the Sichuan quake last year. An activist who was investigating the role shoddy school construction played in the deaths of more than 5,000 children in the 2008 Sichuan earthquak...

• Rains ease in flood-stricken Britain, but more storms are forecast

  Bad weather over the weekend is blamed for two deaths and widespread damage in parts of England, Wales and Scotland. Rain and wind that swept over Britain during the weekend eased enough Monday to allow residents forced out by flooding to return and assess the damage -- and prepare for new storms ...

• What they are ...

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  In Afghanistan, a drive to lure Taliban with jobs, security

  The aim is to persuade Taliban foot soldiers to put down arms in exchange for jobs and protection from militants. The drive will be modeled on the 'Sons of Iraq' initiative that helped calm Iraq. Th Afghan government and the U.

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• From the Archives: Afghanistan

  November 25, 2009 Over the past few months, the Obama administration has been grappling with questions about the nature of the enemy in Afghanistan and the best way to fight the war there. As the administration prepares to announce its revised military strategy, we are pleased to bring you a sel...

• The Root of All Fears

  Why Is Israel So Afraid of Iranian Nukes? November 24, 2009 The special relationship between Israel and the United States is about to enter perhaps its rockiest patch ever. Israel is growing exasperated with the Obama administration’s effort to use diplomacy to roll back Iran’s growing ura...

• The Tajik Solution

  A Model for Fixing Afghanistan November 22, 2009 As the Obama administration and the rest of the international community grapple with the challenge of stabilizing Afghanistan, analogies haveproliferated as fast as insurgents.

• The World Next Week Podcast: November 20, 2009

  November 19, 2009 Foreign Affairs Managing Editor Gideon Rose and CFR.org Editor Robert McMahon preview major world events in the week ahead. In this week's podcast: U.S. President Barack Obama returns from his tour through Asia; Honduras holds presidential elections; Indian Prime Minister Manm...

• Where the Wild Things Were

  How Conservation Efforts are Faltering November 19, 2009 On the eve of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, I argued that wild nature was in deep distress and that the international institutions charged with the planet's care were managing it poorly ("The Futur...

• The L-Word in Afghanistan

  Can the United States Provide What Kabul Needs? November 15, 2009 One would be hard-pressed to find a news article or editorial on the Afghan election that did not mention the word "legitimay.

• Current Issues in International Affairs

  November 13, 2009 U85 IA 550, Current Issues in International Affairs Professor Marvin MarcusWashington University Course Description This interdisciplinary seminar is the gateway' course for te M.

• The World Next Week Podcast: November 13, 2009

  November 13, 2009 Foreign Affairs Managing Editor Gideon Rose and CFR.org Editor Robert McMahon preview major world events in the week ahead. In this week's podcast: the Obama administration make a decision on Afghanistan; U.

• Marvin Marcus

  November 11, 2009 Summary -- Associate Professor of Japanese and Comparative Literature at Washington University in St. Louis and director of the graduate program in International Affairs, dministered through University College.

• Understanding Iran: Everything You Need to Know, From Persia to the Islamic Republic, From Cyrus to Ahmadinejad

  November 11, 2009 Palgrave Macmillan recently released Understanding Iran: Everything You Need to Know, From Persia to the Islamic Republic, From Cyrus to Ahmadinejad. Sizzling headlines from Ira's controversial election this summer, have stoked renewed interest in the country.

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• Gold Miner Meets Grisly Death In Jungle

  A jaguar prowling the lush jungles of Guyana has killed a gold and diamond miner as he went to fetch water from a creek.

• Afghanistan: Obama To Reveal Plans 'Shortly'

  An announcement on a possible US troop surge in Afghanistan is expected within days after Barack Obama said he will show his hand "shortly".

• TV Presenter On Death Row For Witchcraft

  A man has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for witchcraft because he makes predictions on television.

• Briton Dies In Israel Helicopter Crash

  Four people, including a Briton, have been killed after a helicopter crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the Israeli coast.

• Brit Tourist Dies In Israel Helicopter Crash

  Four people, including a British tourist, have been killed after a helicopter crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the Israeli coast.

• Brits Win Big At International Emmys

  Julie Walters and Ben Whishaw have won the top acting awards at the International Emmys in New York as British TV productions won five of the prestigious trophies.

• Emergency Rule After Philippines Massacre

  The Philippines has imposed emergency rule in two provinces and a city after gunmen killed 46 people in an election-linked massacre.

• Kenya's 'Gay Census' Prompts Arrest Fears

  Kenya's gay community is living in fear, after the authorities ordered a poll to uncover the number of homosexuals, and their identities.

• 'World's Worst' E-Fit Sketch Spurs Arrest

  A drawing being mocked as the world's worst e-fit sketch has helped Bolivian police track down a murder suspect.

• Sex Scandals Win Italy PM 'Rock Star' Award

  Silvio Berlusconi's colourful lifestyle, which has embroiled him in a number of high-profile sex scandals, has won him the title of 'Rock Star of the Year' in Italy.

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