POLITICS & POLICY

Organizers of the World Muslimah Beauty Pageant meant to create a venue where it can not only denounce the machinations of the British-run Miss World pageant, but also empower Muslim women all around the world. It would have been a great catalyst if the whole Muslim community supported it.

Twenty years of endless negotiations and conflict in the Middle East since the signing of the Oslo Accords has undermined the belief that peace was possible, but the same 20 years of peace efforts had also demonstrated that fair, reasonable and legitimate solutions could be found, said Robert Serry, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, in his briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday.

Dumex, an infants' and children's nutrition company that is a subsidiary of French food-products multinational corporation Groupe Danone, is currently in the hot seat in China. State television China Central Television on Monday reported that the company allegedly bribed hospital personnel so that its milk powder will be given preference to newborn babies.

The 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly opened on Tuesday, with its new president, John W. Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda, outlining the need to lay the groundwork for global sustainable development after the end of the current development cycle in 2015 which is the deadline for achieving the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The crisis in Syria is also expected to dominate the debate.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need for global cooperation to tackle the world’s most pressing issues including the crisis in Syria and elsewhere, beyond conflict, accelerating achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He was speaking to reporters ahead of the 68th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

Iranian people were able to dodge the ban on social networking Web sites to visit Facebook and Twitter on Monday

The United Nations has called on the world's governments and the entire global community to spare a helping hand to assist some seven million in urgent need of humanitarian aid in Syria.

CBC journalist Neil Macdonald makes a few points clear for his fellow Americans in his recent analysis on the news Web site.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott named Angus Campbell as head of a border protection operation to stop the entry of asylum-seeker boats into Australia. Mr Campbell is one of the country's most experienced soldiers, being the deputy chief of army.

New Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott has raised eyebrows when he deliberately axed the Tourism Minister from his Cabinet. A Gold Coast tourism industry leader described the move of Mr Abbott as alarming. Martin Winter, Gold Coast tourism head, said the absence of a Tourism minister may cause a division of responsibilities. Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb will be left in charge of international tourism while Industry Minister Ian McFarlane will be responsible for boosting domestic...

More than two thirds of Australia’s total trade is with fellow APEC members says a new report published by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It lends credence to the fact that building closer multilateral trading bloc help in enhancing and investment performance.

Waving Typhoon Man-yi as a reasonable enough excuse, the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has again dislodged contaminated water, this time in the guise of rainwater, into the Pacific Ocean

Two years after the fall of the authoritarian regime, the democratic transition process in Libya continues to faces a number of challenges, with pronounced political disagreements, a disruption of the country’s oil exports, and security problems in recent months, Tarek Mitri, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) told the Security Council on Sunday.

Former Prime Julia Gillard issued a personal cheque for $4,243 because Tim Mathieson had misused her taxpayer-funded car

As the U.S. and its allies clamour to punish the Assad government in Syria for alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians and rebels, a vast majority of Syrians have been killed in unlawful attacks using conventional weapons such as guns and mortars, with children making up a large proportion of the casualties. These are the findings of a United Nations appointed human right probe which is calling for a halt to weapons being supplied to both Government and the rebel forces.

A group of scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Queensland, and Stanford University have come out with a new roadmap identifying the areas or Earth regions that are most vulnerable and least vulnerable to climate change.

Australia has assured India that there is no change in its decision to supply uranium to India – a decision taken by the previous government. This assurance came on Monday from Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling who said India should ensure that uranium would be used for peaceful purposes.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members issued a declaration, calling the threat of military force and unilateral sanctions against Iran as ‘unacceptable.' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for a ‘swift resolution’ to the issue of Tehran's nuclear programme, but said his country will not sacrifice its rights for the sake of a solution.

“The Pog,” flagship yacht of the Freedom Flotilla to West Papua, returned to Australian waters, following threats by the Indonesian military. Meanwhile, reports from West Papua say that a number of ceremonies were held to celebrate the arrival of sacred water and fire from the Freedom Flotilla.

New Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced on Monday the members of his cabinet. What is very noticeable, which Mr Abbott acknowledged, is that there is only one female minister.

The Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice filed on Monday afternoon with the Office of the Ombudsman plunder and malversation of public funds charges against suspected pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles, 3 Philippine senators and five former congressmen.

New Zealand celebrities joined protests against proposed laws that will remove the requirement of public consultation on applications for deep-sea gas and oil drilling activities. The proposed law will also abolish the right to conduct a protest at sea. Actors and celebrities like Lucy Lawless, Sam Neill, Robyn Malcom and Sir Ted Thomas, a former Supreme Court judge among others, supported the protests by Maori and environmental groups to urge New Zealand's government not to pass the law.

The Syrian government has welcomed the framework deal for the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpile. The breakthrough on the contentions issue of Syria chemical weapons came on Saturday, three days after talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, began in Geneva.

Yemen will be reviving a bill that would set the minimum legal marrying age in Yemen to 18 years old.

As if its radiation concerns aren't enough, Japan might receive another radiation leaking problem from the same crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. Typhoon Man-yi has started battering southern Japan and its path has been forecast to directly hit the nuclear plant.

Finally, Narendra Modi has had it his way. After dodging for months and amid high political drama, the right wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in India has formally announced that the controversial Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 central-level general elections.

Residents in Japan are in for even colder winter months. Japan has shut down its last remaining working nuclear power plant for maintenance check over the weekend. Plans as when it will resume operations remain unclear.

New Zealand's Labour Party has elected David Cunliffe as its new leader to run for the 2014 election and hopefully block Prime Minister John Key's plan to seek a third term in office. Mr Cunliffe won a caucus vote among affiliated unions and party members. The 50-year-old bested Maori Affairs spokesperson Shane Jones and deputy leader Grant Robertson for the position. David Cunliffe replaced David Shearer who left the Labour leadership vacant in August.

It is extremely important to be acquainted with what it really asks you to do and what it does not.