Obama signs into law US defence spending bill

The president, Barack Obama, has signed into law a $633 billion US defence spending bill that funds the war in Afghanistan and boosts security at US missions worldwide. ‘I have approved this annual defence... Full story

Nepalese protests mirror Indian anger over rape

Lawyers shout slogans as they hold placards and a banner during a protest demanding the juducial system act faster against rape outside a district court in New Delhi on Thursday. — Reuters photo

Hundreds of Nepalese campaigners protested Thursday over the alleged rape and robbery of a maid by government officials, echoing widespread anger in neighbouring India over violence against women. Sita Rai, an assumed name used by the... Full story

US drone strike kills Pakistani warlord

US drone strikes killed a prominent warlord who had sent insurgents to fight in Afghanistan as well as nine other militants in Pakistan’s tribal belt, local officials said Thursday. Mullah Nazir was the main militant commander in South Waziristan, part of the... Full story

Girl’s death triggers gun debate in Philippines

The death of a girl hit by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve sparked calls Thursday for stricter gun controls in the Philippines, where unlicensed weapons are widely blamed for rampant violence. Full story

Scientists say vaccine temporarily brakes HIV

A team of Spanish researchers say they have developed a therapeutic vaccine that can temporarily brake growth of the HIV virus in infected patients. The vaccine, based on immune cells exposed to HIV that had been... Full story

‘No religion’ third world group after Christians, Muslims

People with no religious affiliation make up the third-largest global group in a new study of the size of the world’s faiths, placing after Christians and Muslims and just before Hindus. Full story

Lanka’s top court rejects bid to sack chief justice

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an attempt by lawmakers to impeach the country’s top judge was unconstitutional, in the latest salvo in an escalating battle over the independence of the judiciary. Full story

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in West Bank

A group of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the West Bank village of Jalud overnight, injuring several people, an army spokesman said on Thursday. Palestinian security officials said a two-month-old baby was among... Full story

Gunman kills three in Switzerland

A gunman has opened fire in a village in southern Switzerland, killing three people and wounding two others, police said on Thursday. The man, who had reportedly been drinking heavily before the shooting and was armed... Full story

Hillary discharged from hospital

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, was discharged from a New York hospital on Wednesday after being treated for a blood clot near her brain and her doctors expect her to make a full recovery, the State Department said. Full story

100 dead as cold snap hits India

More than 100 people died of exposure as northern India dealt with historically cold temperatures, the police said. The police spokesman Surendra Srivastava said Thursday that at least 114 people had died... Full story

British PM dismisses Argentina’s Falklands demands

The British prime minister, David Cameron, dismissed Thursday a renewed call by the Argentine president, Cristina Kirchner, for Britain to return the disputed Falkland Islands. Cameron’s official spokesman said... Full story