Setting the stage for a contentious legal battle played out in the world's media spotlight, California prosecutors on Thursday formally filed molestation charges against pop star Michael Jackson in a case involving a cancer-stricken boy invited to the sin
Japan is to adopt ballistic missile defence (BMD) systems to protect itself from the threat of North Korean missile attacks. Japan has decided to introduce the US-developed system for now and continue to conduct joint research with the United States to im
President Vladimir Putin broke Russia's open secret by declaring he would run for a second term in office in a March vote that is expected to prove an easy romp for the powerful and popular Kremlin chief. Putin also used a marathon nationally televised qu
Ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who was captured in a US raid last Saturday after a months-long hunt, was betrayed by his personal bodyguard, Jordan's Al-Arab Al-Yom daily, cited by the AFP, says. The former dictator was captured while hiding in a mud
Four Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli raid into the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli military official has said. Three of the Palestinians was shot after opening fire at Israeli forces, and the last one - a 25-year-old bakery worker - was hit
Italy has clamped unprecedented security measures at the Vatican and other major Christian landmarks because of Christmastime attack fears, NBC said Thursday. According to their report, Israeli security service Mossad warned that "an important symbol of C
Officials at Japan's Foreign Ministry are considering the possibility to evacuate personnel from the country's embassy in Iraq, after the received information that a terrorists attack against the delegation was being planned. According to Japanese governm
The US has announced they would withdraw junior diplomats from Saudi Arabia over increased security concerns. The State Department also called on US citizens in the area to consider leaving, as they continued to receive indications that terrorism threat i
Ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein who was captured in US raid last Saturday is currently being held in the area of capital Baghdad, member of the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) Mowaffaq al-Rubaie has disclosed. He disproved media reports that Saddam had b
The head of the radical Greek November 17 organisation has been jailed for life, as has the group's main hitman. Alexandros Giotopoulos and Dimitris Koufodinas were among 15 people found guilty last week of involvement in a 25-year series of crimes.
Lithuanian parliamentarians collected enough signatures to impeach President Rolandas Paksas over accusations he has links with organised crime, the country's Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas announced. Legislators moved to impeach Paksas, who won an up
A truck loaded with explosives crashed into a small bus near a police station, killing at least 10 Iraqis, Ahmed Kadhim Ibrahim Iraqi deputy interior minister announced. The explosion occurred before dawn in al-Bayaa, a poor district in southwest Baghdad,
South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Young-Kwan gave up on hopes for resuming six-way talks this year aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons drive. "It is difficult in reality to open the second round of talks within this year," Yoon told journalists
Taiwan health authorities said a man working at a military medical research institute had contracted SARS, the island's first case of the killer respiratory disease in five months. The 44-year-old man caught the virus in a laboratory on December 5 while c
The role of the United Nations (UN) in Iraq needs to be defined much more clearly, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in an address to the UN Security Council during a debate on the future of Iraq. Annan also insisted that forming a provisional governme
Child abuse charges will be brought against pop star Michael Jackson this week, US officials have said. After surrendering to the police on November 20, 45-year-old Jacko was let out on a USD 3 M bail.
Former US secretary of state James Baker started from Paris a European tour, meant to get agreement on reduction of Iraq's foreign debt. Baker will visit also the states that opposed the war in Iraq.
US troops shot dead at least four Iraqis who were among protestors against the capture of Saddam Hussein in two towns west of Baghdad. The shootings took place on Monday night following the demonstrators' putting up Hussein's posters in the towns of Ramad
North Korea rejected a US proposal to end a nuclear dispute and warned that Washington's "delaying tactics" would only prompt the communist government to step up development of atomic weapons. The North's main state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said the
Former US general Wesley Clark started giving evidence to the war crimes trial of Slobodan Milosevic at The Hague. Clark, was NATO's allied commander during the alliance's 1999 campaign against Yugoslavia which forced Milosevic's troops out of Kosovo.
US shares surged at the opening in a broad early rally in reaction to the capture of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. In the first 10 minutes of trade Monday, the Dow Jones industrials jumped 93.
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
