A state of emergency has been declared around Australia's capital city, Canberra, as bushfires rage out of control. Most of the city is now surrounded by the fires and dozens of suburban homes have already been engulfed by flames.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov flew to the capital, Pyongyang, following talks with Chinese officials in Beijing. The latest round of diplomacy came as a United Nations envoy who flew from Pyongyang to Beijing on Saturday warned there
Mass rallies are being planned around the world to show opposition to any war against Iraq. Demonstrations began in Japan and are set to take place in cities across Europe and the Middle East as well as in the United States.
The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to extend and improve efforts to control the remnants of Afghanistan's former Taleban government and the al-Qaeda network of Osama Bin Laden. The resolution aims to tighten monitoring procedures and keep sanct
The Croatian skier, Ivica Kostelic, has apologised for comparing his state of mind before a race to that of a German soldier in June 1941. But he has rejected allegations that he holds Nazi sympathies and has accused the media of twisting his words in ord
The US dollar has tumbled to its lowest level against the euro in more than three years. Defiant comments from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein increased fears the US would take military action in the Gulf region.
The Afghan Government is taking steps to tackle a reported regrouping of Taleban and al-Qaeda factions in the south of the country. Around 5,000 police have been sent to the southern town of Spin Boldak, near the border with Pakistan.
Several European countries have united in warning against military intervention in Iraq and urging more time for United Nations inspections. French President Jacques Chirac delivered a blunt warning against any military action saying it would break intern
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has warned that anyone who tries to invade his country will be defeated. In a defiant speech to mark the 12th anniversary of the start of the Gulf War, the Iraqi leader said his people were determined to make any new invadin
A bomb blast has killed at least five people and injured 11 others in a hotel in the north Chinese province of Shaanxi. Local residents told the Chinese state news agency Xinhua that they feared more people were still trapped under the rubble.
Speaking to European Union officials in Brussels, chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix urged Iraq for more cooperation. He also said that otherwise Iraq must face the consequences.
Argentina told the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) it "is not in condition" to meet a crucial $681m debt payment, due on Wednesday. The decision could cost Argentina a key source of foreign credit.
Resolving the confrontation with North Korea will be a slow process, US envoy to Asia, James Kelly said while on a visit to Beijing. The statement comes after Pyongyang described Washington's offer to revive aid in exchange for the Communist state droppin
The case on the huge compensation claim, filed by Moscow theatre siege survivors and victims' relatives, was not transferred to a different court. Reports describe the court as poorly equipped for a trial in which 49 individual lawsuits had already been f
The Czech parliament has failed to choose a successor to President Vaclav Havel after no candidate managed to secure enough votes in any of the three rounds of voting. The race was whittled down to two men - Christian Democrat Petr Pithart and right-wing
The United States is joining a diplomatic initiative involving five other countries to find a solution to Venezuela's seven-week political and economic crisis. Along with Brazil, Chile, Spain, Mexico and Portugal, it has set up a group called "Friends of
Russia has sent a senior envoy to Iraq to seek to defuse the confrontation between Baghdad and Washington. Speaking on his arrival on Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov said Russia wanted to find a diplomatic and political solution to t
North Korea has described Washington's offer to revive aid in exchange for the communist state dropping its nuclear programme as "deceptive drama". In a statement carried by North Korea's official news agency, the foreign ministry said the confrontation w
United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq have searched a second of President Saddam Hussein's palaces. The experts were granted immediate access to the Republican Palace in Baghdad, where the Iraqi leader maintains his main office.
France and Germany are to propose a plan for a new dual presidency for the European Union. The EU would be led by a European Commission president and the head of the Council of Ministers.
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
