Focus on the big picture

Violence in Syria has escalated sharply in the past two days, with heavy bloodshed reported Friday in at least three flash points as Arab League monitors expressed exasperation.

A photo released by an opposition group, the Local Coordination Committees in Syria, appeared to show bodies of children, who activists said were killed in government attacks, at a mortua...

Russia remains a staunch defender of Syria, providing it with a political lifeline as well as arms and ammunition.

Khaled Meshal has effectively abandoned his long-time base in Syria, where a popular uprising has left thousands dead, and has no plans to return, Hamas sources in Gaza said on Friday.

Egyptians marked the first anniversary of their revolution. Protesters accused the Muslim Brotherhood of bowing to the military.The resentments of many political activists toward the Musl...

The Arab League says it is suspending its controversial monitoring mission in Syria because of the upsurge in violence.

Inappropriate spending cuts could "strangle" growth, so austerity measures should be tailor-made by each country, the head of the IMF warns.

The US defence secretary says he is concerned about a Pakistani doctor arrested for providing intelligence for the US raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.

Preparations to pump fuel from the wreck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia are suspended, as divers find a 17th body.

The BBC hears accounts from prison inmates in Libya suggesting that supporters of former leader Col Gaddafi are being tortured in detention.

The Taliban in Afghanistan have moderated a lot of their once-radical positions and now support education for girls. As the U.S. pursues peace talks with the Taliban, the question is will...

Syrian dissident soldiers teamed up with civilians to occupy neighborhoods on Damascus's outskirts, a development that could move the capital toward chaos.

British police said they arrested four people in connection with an investigation into potential police bribery, a probe that is part of a wide-ranging crackdown on illegal news-gathering...

The United States wants a greater military presence in Southeast Asia but does not seek permanent bases anywhere in the region, the chief of the Pacific Command said.

Dozens of people were killed and wounded when a suicide car bomber attacked a funeral procession in Baghdad on Friday, days after an al Qaeda-linked insurgent group warned it would step u...

Antibiotics were once the wonder drug. Now, however, an increasing number of highly resistant -- and deadly -- bacteria are spreading around the world. The killer bugs often originate in ...

In 2010, Berlin's Botanical Garden received a rare and precious gift from the Seychelles: a nut from the Coco de Mer palm, prized around the world for centuries. Now that they've managed ...

It is a premiere for Germany. Never before have artifacts from Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba in Mecca, been on display in the country. A new exhibit in Berlin's famous Pergamon Museum t...

The US Republican candidates' debate in Florida quickly devolved into a horror show of absurdities on Thursday night as candidates argued about immigration and moon colonies. Mitt Romney ...

Eli Beer: smart bike, phone and idea ISRAELIS know all too well the need for first aid—and the difficulties of providing it. When Eli Beer was four, in 1978, he saw the carnage after a h...

FIRST came the yodelling, then the pain. The online entrepreneurs and venture capitalists at DLD, a geeks’ shindig this month in Munich, barely had time to recover from their traditional...

RETIRED policemen, judges and presidents who support radical drug-law reform still greatly outnumber those who pipe up while still in the job. But calls for a rethink are increasingly co...

THAT a company can conceal who really owns it is a longstanding privilege in many countries. This is not just convenient for the shareholders. It makes money for the authorities that reg...

CARBON emissions vary hugely between countries. That is well known, as is the finding that rich people emit more than poor ones. But a newly revised paper * by Emilio Zagheni of the Max ...

The UN Security Council met behind closed doors Friday to discuss a European-Arab draft resolution on Syria.

Rescue workers feverishly dug through the wreckage of three buildings in downtown Rio de Janeiro Friday, hunting for survivors of a collapse that killed at least 12 people and left 17 mor...

The Philippines would conduct more joint military drills with the US, and not bring back the American military bases.

The US economy increased 2.8 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2011, the fastest pace of the year.

At least 24 people were killed when a bomb exploded near a Baghdad marketplace on Friday in the latest attack on a mainly Shi'ite neighbourhood since a political crisis erupted in December.

Monitors pulled due to increasing violence

Three women from Ukrainian activist group detained at economic summit

New stadium for 2014 to include cabins and balconies for women who wants to watch games

Christine Lagarde also said it was important that those that have the headroom should explore how they can boost growth

Those arrested include one police officer

Current and former executives believed to have been detained after information handed to Met by News Corporation.

Serving officer among latest arrests in Operation Elveden, as police carry out search of News International offices.

Sir Philip Hampton appears to say his award was not justified - in stark contrast to his chief executive Stephen Hester, who was awarded nearly £1m on top of his £1.2m salary.

Sir Philip Hampton appears to say his award was not justified - in stark contrast to his chief executive Stephen Hester, who was awarded nearly £1m on top of his £1.2m salary.

As the number of bodies found on the stricken ship reaches 17, salvage crews preparing to pump fuel and oil from the wreck have had to suspend work, officials said.

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Catherine Mann, professor at Brandeis International Business School and former Federal Reserve economist, says inflation, unemployment, and GDP rates are under thei...

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Dan Alpert, managing partner of Westwood Capital LLC, discusses the creation of an educational website for tenants of Stuyvestant Town in New York City. Alpert talk...

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Greg Miles, an editor at Bloomberg News, and William Glasgall, a managing editor at Bloomberg News, discuss some of the stories that Bloomberg editors are watching ...

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Peter Dixon, global equities economist at Commerzbank AG, says record wide spreads between sovereign debt of Portugal and Germany shows the "Portugal situation is e...

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Robert Hormats, the U.S. State Department's undersecretary for economic, energy and agricultural affairs, says China is "not playing by global rules" when it comes ...

Free Syrian Army and security forces continue to clash as UN prepares to discuss draft resolution against government.

Deputy chief of the pan-Arab body has halted its observer mission because of "the upsurge in violence", official says.

Debt-stricken Athens says German proposal to cede control of its fiscal policy to EU is "out of the question".

Court approves 85-year-old Abdoulaye Wade's bid for re-election and bars music icon Youssou Ndour from running.

Blackout of microblogging site proposed after firm says it will block tweets on geo-specific basis if legally necessary.

Rescue teams searched through matchstick rubble Saturday for thousands of people missing in flooded areas of northeastern Japan, beginning one of the most complex relief efforts in history.

Japanese authorities said Sunday that efforts to restart the cooling system at one of the reactors damaged by Friday's earthquake had failed, a major setback in the struggle to contain wh...

JULIA Gillard says her former media adviser Tony Hodges did not suggest Tony Abbott had called for the Aboriginal Tent Embassy to be torn down.

DI Bliss, the troubled wife of former tycoon Alan Bond has been found dead in her backyard pool earlier today in Perth.

RESIDENTS near WA's Pilbara coast are bracing for destructive gales and flooding as Tropical Cyclone Iggy edges towards the coast.

VICTORIA Azarenka is the new Australian Open champion after out playing former champion Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-0 on Rod Laver Arena tonight.

KEITH Urban, Beccy Cole and Adam Harvey took top honours at the annual country music awards in Tamworth tonight.

BreakingNews: Arab League suspends monitoring mission to Syria due to escalation of violence, monitors will remain in country but freeze work - Reuters

BreakingNews: RT @BreakingNewsUK: Police arrest 4 current and former Sun newspaper employees and 1 serving police officer in connection with police br ...

BreakingNews: Italian civil protection officials say they've found the body of a woman in a submerged cabin of the cruise ship Costa Concordia - NBC News

BreakingNews: UK-based opposition group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claim 130 killed across Syria in the last 24 hours by military - NBC News

BreakingNews: Tribal rebels kill 5 in election rated violence at a polling booth in India's northeastern state of Manipur, police say - Reuters

Hong Kong shares rose 0.31 percent, a sixth straight gain, on hopes China will soon introduce new monetary easing policies after the Chinese New Year...

Hong Kong shares were flat in the morning, giving up early advances as profit-takers moved in after five straight sessions of gains. The benchmark...

Hong Kong stocks edged slightly higher in early trade after a lacklustre session on Wall Street triggered by weak economic data and profit taking. ...

Hong Kong stocks rose 1.47 percent in early trade, the first session after a three-day Chinese New Year holiday, reflecting gains in US markets. Th...

Hong Kong stocks rose 0.12 percent at the beginning of trade, extending the previous days rally following a positive lead from Wall Street. The ...

Islamist extremist group Boko Haram has carried out violence across northern Nigeria, killing hundreds. What's behind the attacks, and why do some think they will only get bolder?

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday he is hopeful that this weekend's planned visit by representatives of the nuclear watchdog will "resolve any a...

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai is in the United Kingdom Saturday for talks with Prime Minister David Cameron.

Violence engulfed Syria a day after bloody unrest swept the country, opposition activists said on Saturday.

Four current and former employees of Britain's Sun newspaper have been arrested by police investigating claims of inappropriate payments to police, News Corp. said Saturday.

Space-starved Hong Kong has long been plagued by high rents and steep hotel rates, vexing university students and tourists alike. But help may be at hand, thanks to one Hong Kong firm: t...

Earlier this month, security staff at Dolce & Gabbana's Hong Kong boutique reportedly barred Hong Kong natives from taking photos of the store — while not enforcing similar rules on tour...

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has published a list of frequently asked questions on its website to help investors understand the key features and risks specific to ...

Hong Kong is now the top tourist destination worldwide trumping London, which held the leading seat in previous rankings, according to Euromonitor International's latest Top 100 City Des...

Hong Kong will help London develop as the next offshore yuan trading centre, shrugging off traditional competition between the two cities as part of a broader plan to boost international...

You can now try before you buy thanks to new technology that brings products magically to life.

Officer arrested on suspicion of corruption

This remarkable picture show the beginnings of life of a baby mouse from a one cell embryo to a fully grown pup.

Cops arrest inmate as his mother makes public appeal to give himself up

A man was stabbed to death in a suspected road rage incident yesterday. Officers were called to Teehey Lane in Bebington, Wirral, just after 3pm. A man, believed to be from the local are...

Defense Secretary acknowledges that a Pakistani doctor gave key information to the U.S. in advance of the assault on bin Laden's compound.

The deputy chief of the Arab League says the organization has halted its observer mission in Syria due to the increasing violence there.

A suicide car bomber struck a Shiite funeral procession Saturday, killing 33 people in the latest attack as suspected al-Qaeda militants.

Police searched the offices of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers Saturday after arresting five men in a probe of police bribery by journalists.

Sarkozy also announced a faster-track exit for France, the fourth-largest contributor of troops in Afghanistan.

Former US Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh says the central bank's record monetary easing may set back the US economic expansion and that he is concerned policy makers are pushing inv...

Flat-screen maker LG Display posted a much smaller quarterly loss yesterday, helped by solid demand from smartphones and tablet makers such as Apple and as falling television panel prices...

Slowing growth in China is emerging as a concern in some of this quarter's earnings reports from US multinationals that have long relied on strong growth in China and other emerging marke...

In the brutal world of online commerce, where a competing product is just a click away, retailers need all the juice they can get to close a sale. Some exalt themselves by anonymously pos...

Japan's core consumer prices fell for the third consecutive month in December, and mild deflation is expected to persist this year as energy prices stabilise and worries about Europe's de...

Star dancer Sergei Polunin quit London’s Royal Ballet last week, and no one can say why.

The Daily Beast picks the best journalism from around the Web this week. By David Sessions.

The candidate spent Friday ridiculing Gingrich and reveling in his own debate success, Lois Romano writes.

We asked readers to tell us the first word that came to mind upon hearing the name “Romney.” Their answers, displayed below in a word cloud, are revealing.

Tricia Romano talks to Dan Savage about the linguistic war trans activists are waging.

CHECK out who has signed for which club during the January transfer window

STAR was held down by friends while having convulsions bombshell audio recording reveals

THREE Lions and Fantasy Football legend announces is to be a father on radio

MISSING Andrew Farndon was arrested by police earlier today after being sprung at hospital

PM David Cameron attacked EU leaders this week for not tackling the eurozone debt crisis at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

AP - The Arab League halted its observer mission to Syria on Saturday, sharply criticizing the regime of President Bashar Assad for escalating violence in recent days that has killed at ...

AP - The Republican presidential contenders are making a pitch to voters that sounds a lot like a children's game: Follow the leader.

AP - The head of the International Monetary Fund appeared to be making headway Saturday in her drive to boost the institution's financial firepower so that it can help Europe prevent its...

AP - Just how rich is Mitt Romney? Add up the wealth of the last eight presidents, from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. Then double that number. Now you're in Romney territory.

AP - Public university presidents facing ever-increasing state budget cuts are raising concerns about President Barack Obama's plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition ...

Joe Paterno's son soaks in the surroundings of grief and finds comfort

Victoria Azarenka started celebrating, then suddenly did a double-take to ask her coach, "What happened?"

Tiger Woods moved to the top of the leaderboard Saturday at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, a position that once was taken for granted but now marks his first third-round lead in an off...

LeBron James scored 31 points, Dwyane Wade scored 28 in his return from a sprained right ankle, and the Miami Heat beat the 3-point-obsessed New York Knicks 99-89 on Friday night.

Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay "had a long talk" Friday, coming to terms with comments made to the media this week, first by the Colts quarterback and then by the team's owner two days later.

Liverpool host rivals Manchester United after Chelsea win at QPR at the start of a packed day of action that focuses on the FA Cup fourth round.

England are bowled out for only 72 to crumble to a 72-run defeat in the second Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and lose the three-match series.

Victoria Azarenka beats Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-0 in the Australian Open final to win her maiden Grand Slam title and become the new world number one.

Ayr United take on Kilmarnock in the Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final ahead of four SPL games on Saturday.

Rafael Nadal says Andy Murray has the ability to become world number one in 2012 if the Scot improves his mental approach on the biggest stage.

The New York Knicks, they were all about the 3's. The Miami Heat, they welcomed back No. 3. Advantage, Heat. LeBron James scored 31 points, Dwyane Wade -- he of that No. 3 jersey -- scor...

Commissioner Bud Selig expects baseball to expand its playoffs this season. Players and owners have already agreed to add an additional wild-card team in each league, but are still decid...

Peyton Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay insist they are just fine after a week filled with complaints and comments suggesting a rift had developed following one of the most miserable se...

Rob Gronkowski's playing status for the Super Bowl was listed as questionable on Friday after the star tight end missed the New England Patriots practice for the second straight day with ...

Dwight Howard sat calmly in his locker and spoke softly, but with cutting tone as he ripped into his team for what he saw as a lack of effort. "I look at guys and they don't look like th...

The Russian spacecraft Progress M-14M was launched late on Wednesday night (25th) from the Baikonur, Kazakhstan base toward the International Space Station (ISS), announced the Spacefligh...

US Congressman Barney Frank is going to tie the knot with his boyfriend. The US politician is 71 years old

OK! Magazine published a photo of Oksana Grigorieva, which was taken on January 25th

A 13-year-old boy saved his own life by biting off the snake's head. The heroic and yet unbelievable tale made the front pages of many newspapers in Israel

Hundreds of prisoners organized a desperate action of protest in Kyrgyzstan. The inmates mutilated themselves under patriotic slogans. As many as 1,087 prison inmates stitched up their mo...

Weeks after a parliamentary election that international observers criticized as unfair and undemocratic, opposition supporters in Kazakhstan have begun what they hope to be a sustained pr...

Growing economies are playing an increasingly important role in the global economy, serving as the driver of growth. At the World Economic Forum in Davos they are leaving a powerful impre...

At the 48th Munich Security Conference, starting February 3, global leaders and generals will tackle Europes relationship with Asia and the impact of the Arab Spring. DW spoke with Chairm...

Germany marked Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday with a special session of parliament and a call for the nations citizens never to forget the danger posed by right-wing extremism.

Most of the top teams in the Bundesliga are facing mid-table opponents on the 19th match day. With just one point separating the top four, there is no room for error this weekend.

After his second-place finish in the South Carolina primary, Mitt Romney arrived in Florida armed with money and organization. With three days until the primary, Romney's recent debate pe...

In Mexico, where criminals are armed to the teeth with high-powered weapons, it may come as a surprise that the country has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world. One communi...

Everything from the size of your plate to the color of your food may be telling you to eat more than you actually need. The good news is you can use psychology to your advantage, if you l...

Most Americans use photo IDs daily. And their driver's license — perhaps the most common form of government-issued photo ID — has become indispensable. So what's the big deal about new la...

If you're a politician, you don't have to engage in any kind of wild or outlandish behavior to become the talk of the Internet and cable news. To spare politicians further embarrassment, ...

Cartoony laptop bags, Legos in space, and a lost Jim Henson film. These are just a few of our favorites things from Crave this week. Catch up on all the news in our weekly roundup.

Spotify is many things to many people, but one thing it lacks is an equalization feature for letting you adjust bands of bass, midrange, and treble. A plug-in called Equalify.me can fix t...

We talk record breaking earnings, and reports of trouble in Apples supply chain that made that possible in this weeks edition of Apple Talk Weekly.

Here are a few of CNET Reviews favorite items from the past week, including the HP Envy 15, Nikon Coolpix S8200, and the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx.

Photoshop CS6 will get a dark gray interface by default and, of course it inherits Lightroom 4s new raw-image editing controls.