POLITICS & POLICY

A prominent New Zealand party leader has been accused of racism after making a joke about Asians as he expressed his objection to China's investment in agriculture. New Zealand First party leader Winston Peters told the audience at a campaign launch last August 10 that he supported efforts to tighten restrictions on foreign ownership.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday that she had the passport of jihadist Khaled Sharrouf canceled and his family faces legal action if they return to Australia. Sharrouf shocked the world by posting on Twitter photos of his young son holding the decapitated head of a Syrian soldier.

When Tony Abbott was still the Opposition leader, his nemesis were female members of the handbag brigade, led by then Prime Minister Julia Gillard who called him a misogynist on the Parliament hall. Now, besides grappling with his dwindling voter support, the PM has a growing number of new nemeses - school-going and letter-writing children of lesbians who could not understand why their two mums could not legally get married in Australia.

An Aussie activist who is working with ISIS in Iraq posted his seven-year-old son’s photo online, where the young boy is seen holding the cut off head of a Syrian soldier.

Iraq's new political instability will invite many unpleasant consequences, if it is not managed well

Russia is carefully de-escalating the Ukraine conflict and that is bolstering the morale of official forces to take more rebel cities in Eastern Ukraine

Australia mulls uranium sales ban to Russia. NATO delivers US$4.5 million worth of non-lethal military aid to Ukraine.

Tourists on Hawaii are now back to enjoying their vacation after back-to-back Tropical Storm Iselle and Hurricane Julio have passed the island.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: It was a quiet start to the week with no significant data releases overnight.

A collective document has been released by leading psychiatrists, human rights lawyers, priests, novelists and refugee advocates containing accusing statements against Australia's "inhumane" treatment of asylum seekers. The experts in their respective fields have urged the Australian government to put an end to its offshore processing and mandatory detention practices.

The results of surveys and opinion polls show the overwhelming disappointment of Australian voters in having placed in office Prime Minister Tony Abbott who had failed, in their eyes, to bring a clean and efficient transition of power from the previous Labor government.

Japan got hit by a 6.0-magnitude earthquake on Sunday afternoon. No damage, only briefly disrupted transportation in the region.

Unflinching positions of Israel and Hamas blocking the peace agreement in Gaza.

Changing the Shia dominated government in Iraq can douse the anger of Sunnis

Central Alberta, Canada was hit by a 4.3-magnitude earthquake, which caused the loss of power supply to some 500 customers.

Obama’s reluctant intervention in Iraq, through air strikes may compensate for the lost opportunity.

When news of ISIS beheading Christian children in Mosul as part of its genocide plans, it has sparked outrage from all over the world. Many people have resorted to social media to express their anger and shock. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter were filled with netizens' reactions to the violence in Iraq. The leader of the Catholic Church was no exception.

Bell FX Currency Outlook: The Australian Dollar opens this week little changed from Friday's close after tensions in the Ukraine lessened on Friday.

At least nine people were killed and over one million others were forced to evacuate their homes after powerful Typhoon Halong blasted Japan over the weekend. The system is now on its way to Russia's Far East, expected to make landfall by Monday evening.

New Zealand's internet-Mana party has posted a video on Youtube with web tycoon and Internet Party founder Kim Dotcom rallying a young crowd which showed them chanting, "F*** John Key."

Australia's unemployment rate has soared to its highest level in 12 years at 6.4 per cent. The country has surpassed the jobless rate in the U.S. for the first time since 2007. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the country's high unemployment rate was due to an increase in the number of people looking for work.

Despite the first hurricane expected to hit Hawaii in 22 years weakening slightly, residents as well as tourists on the Big Island are leaving no stone unturned as they prepare for double whammy hurricanes Iselle and Julio.

Russia granted residency permit to Edward Snowden while Vladimir Putin’s government imposed a “full embargo” on food products coming from EU and the United States. Putin may also have plans to ban airlines from entering the Siberian airspace.

ISIS took over Qaraqosh, the largest Christian town in Iraq, and asked the residents to convert to Islam or die. The village with a population of around 50,000 is now left to choose between Islam and death.

The U.S. Climate Prediction Center has said the much anticipated El Niño weather phenomenon has fizzled out in the equatorial Pacific. The chances of it happening in the Northern Hemisphere during autumn and early winter had dropped to 65 per cent, from a previous 80 per cent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked U.S. lawmakers to help fight against "war crime" allegations as Palestinian leaders are about to approach the International Criminal Court against Israel. An Israeli website accused Arab nations of double standards on Gaza conflict.

The two-star officer was killed in random firing as Rafiqullah, the gunman who killed him, was shot dead as well. Here is what we know so far about the Afghan gunman.

Defiant Russia, which has banned all U.S. food on its land, as well as fruits and vegetables from the EU in response to sanctions, is feared to invade Ukraine anytime soon. NATO said around 20,000 combat-ready Russian troops are now present on Ukraine's eastern border.

The Israeli military has acquired a copy of a manual of Hamas' urban warfare. The manual carried the title, "Introduction to City War" and justifies the benefits of civilian casualties including the open admission that Israel avoids endangering them. Hamas believes that the destruction of civilian homes "increases the hatred of citizens towards attackers" and motivates them to support defenders of the city.