POLITICS & POLICY

Anyone looking for evidence of the impending total failure of the U.S. government need look no further than the shenanigans taking place right now in Washington D.C.

A government shutdown is when a government discontinues providing services that are not considered "essential". The services which are like value added services for the population and entertaining to them in vital sense.

A joint team of international chemical weapons inspectors has arrived in Syria to being the daunting process of dismantling and destroying the country’s chemical weapons stockpile and manufacturing facilities.

Iran’s conciliatory approach at the UN and with the U.S. seems to be bearing some fruit. Notwithstanding Israeli opposition at the UN General Assembly annual debate on Tuesday, reports suggest Western governments are thinking about allowing Iran to continue some uranium enrichment. It could pave the way for smoother talks and better meeting of minds. The move comes after Iran said it wants to end its deadlock with Western powers, on the issue of alleged nuclear weapons within the next six month...

Thirteen activists associated with the Greenpeace organisation have been slapped with charges of piracy in Russia, following an ocean protest against oil drilling in the Arctic. This as Greenpeace activists in Germany chained themselves to fuel pumps at Gazprom petrol stations to protest the latest action against the illegally detained comrades.

A social networking war is currently going on between the citizens of the Philippines and a woman named Devina Dediva who enraged the Filipinos after making racist comments on Facebook about Miss World 2013 winner Megan Young. On Facebook, British native Malcolm Conlan’s open letter to Devina Dediva is currently being shared where he defended the Filipinos from her rude and unnecessary comments and urged her to apologise.

Extinction of koalas is now beginning to unfold as another casualty of the burgeoning global climate change, which has dried up too many trees.

The sentencing of a prominent U.S.-trained human rights lawyer to 30 months in prison in a tax evasion case by a Hanoi court on Wednesday could hit U.S.-Vietnam relations. Le Quoc Quan, 42, is one of Vietnam’s best-known activist-blogger. Following the sentencing, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi issued a statement accusing Vietnam of using tax laws for political ends and urging the government to release other political prisoners.

If marijuana will be legalized in Israel, it may be extremely beneficial for its economy. This was according to a recent study conducted by the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies.

Hundreds of thousands of Kiwi citizens currently living in Australia will be disappointed to know that their rights have not changed after New Zealand Prime Minister John Key's visit to Australia. Greater economic rights were not on the agenda as far as Prime Minister Tony Abbott is concerned.

Indonesian journalists are angry at Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott for excluding them in a press conference he held on Tuesday morning. The head of Indonesia's journalists' union claimed that Mr Abbott even committed a criminal offence for his act.

If the 300,000 Kiwis living on special category visa in Australia were hoping for some good news on welfare benefits to come their way, this news will leave them disheartened. The sweet-talking Australian government feels New Zealanders in Australia already have enough benefits. Shredding hope that the policy would change anytime soon, the Australian position was reiterated not once, but twice on Wednesday - by Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Canberra and by his senior colleague Foreign Minister J...

With the 68th General Assembly Debates at the United Nations in New York coming to an end, the UN General Assembly President John Ashe called upon member states to “find the common ground as a basis for moving forward with decisive action.” The General Assembly president said the outcome of the week-long debates is the need to draw up a new global development agenda integrating economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to be seized by the recent conciliatory overtures by the Iranians towards the U.S. and its allies on the nuclear question that he spent more than 30 minutes of his allocated time speaking about it.

The Middle East seems to give no respite to the international community. Just days after the world celebrated the Obama-Rouhani telephone call, as what could be the beginning of a new era in Middle East geopolitics, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (GA) platform to take tight-fisted potshots at the new Iranian President. His move was calculated and his effort obvious. Attempting to shred though the conciliatory approach of the Iranian Pres.....

Sky gazers can now start the preparations for viewing the fast approaching celestial display of the 2013 Comet ISON after making its closest approach to planet Mars on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The “Comet of the Century” is expected to become visible to the naked eye in early Nov. before its closest approach to the Sun on Nov. 28 and planet Earth on Dec. 26.

Japan, already without nuclear power supply, has signed a 20-year supply arrangement with U.S. oil company Chevron Corp for the latter's $29 billion Australian Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

At least 17 countries around the world, including Australia, the U.S. and many from Europe, have signified interest in taking-in refugees fleeing the almost three-year old civil conflict currently rampaging Syria. The United Nations lauded the countries' collaborative effort, although the respective governments have yet to formally issue a quota-based number of refugees each is willing to take in.

Several prominent female personalities in Canada have voiced their opinion in favour of bringing back the original lyrics of “O Canada”.

It has been a known fact for childless couples around the world that they can opt to have children birthed for a fee by a surrogate from India. Many from Canada and the UK have done it and actually have been thankful in doing it. Thus, India's "rent-a-womb" industry has flourished so much that a local doctor has spearheaded the construction of the world's first baby factory, while the Indian government mulls over regulating the sector.

The Australian Defence Force finishes the Exercise IRON MOON 2013 North West, Australia.

The U.S. Consulate is open for Aussies seeking a work visa to the U.S.

After recovering from a losing streak in the middle of last week, the Dow fell again on Friday - down 70 points.

All hell broke loose last night. The government shutdown in the US suddenly 'got real' and there was uproar across the country. One commentator suggested releasing giant pandas 'into congress, let them maul [the politicians] out of office and then [the bears] shall run our government.'

It's the end of another empire. The US government, once the most trusted creditor in the world, is nearing a 'government shutdown'. Zero hour is supposedly tomorrow US time, so tonight our time. The media is having a field day with this one.

The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee of the European Parliament unanimously approved a legislative resolution to craft a law that would require all mobile phone manufacturers to make a universal charge to cut down on e-waste.

First female prime minister and former leader of the Australian Labour Party Julia Gillard has broken her silence over the party leadership, sexism in politics and losing power to Kevin Rudd. In a talk with Anne Summers at the Sydney Opera House, Ms Gillard threw a thinly-veiled barb at former prime minister Kevin Rudd for destabilising her government and turning against her despite being in the same party.

The United Nations (UN) team of chemical weapon investigators in Syria left the country after a six-day mission. Led by Swedish scientist Ake Sellström, the UN team is evaluating available information related to all allegations of chemical weapons, for the purpose of preparing its final report before the upcoming Geneva Peace Conference in mid-November.

Google Japan has decided to join its country's fascination with vending machines. The company has just launched a vending machine type in Tokyo that sells Android apps.