ZAMBIA: The Extended Family – Blessing or Burden?

Peggy Kapanda has bad memories of the time she spent living with her uncle when she was young. She was treated as a second-rank child. But this only motivated her to do a better job herself. At her small home in John Laing compound, in Zambia's capital Lusaka, she and her husband take care of two other children in addition to their own three young boys.

Saudi Troops “Sent into Bahrain”

A Saudi military force of about 1,000 troops has entered Bahrain to help protect government facilities there, according to witnesses and reports citing Saudi sources.

Second Blast at Japan Nuclear Plant

A second explosion has rocked Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex, sending a plume of smoke into the air and touching off fresh concerns of a radioactive leak in the quake and tsunami-hit country.

U.S. Hearing on ‘Radical Islam’ Opens

Al-Qaeda is targeting Muslim Americans for recruits to terrorism and the community must do more to combat radicalisation, a U.S. politician has said as he opened hearings in Washington that have been criticised as a witch hunt.

Japan Earthquake Unleashes Tsunami

At least 29 people are reported to have been killed after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Japan, triggering a 10-metre-high tsunami along parts of the country's northeastern coastline.

New Constitution Promised for Yemen

Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's president, has promised to put a new constitution to a referendum this year and move the country to a "parliamentary system" but opponents say the move fails to meet the demands of anti-government protesters.

Tanzania Biofuel Project’s Barren Promise

An ambitious project to produce clean energy for the Netherlands and Belgium has degenerated into a controversial abuse of natural resources in Africa.

New Air Raids Hit Libyan Oil City

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have launched new air raids on the oil city of Ras Lanuf and are closing in on the western town of Az Zawiyah.

The New Egypt: Leaving Women Behind

Marwa Sharaf el-Din, an Egyptian law PhD candidate at Oxford University, spent part of International Women's Day in Tahrir Square this afternoon to perform Zajal, a popular traditional form of Arabic poetry.

LIBYA: Rebels Set Demands for Gaddafi Exit

Rebels will not pursue Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi over crimes they say he has committed if he steps down from his post by Friday, the head of the rebel National Libyan Council has said.

Chavez Gambles on Gaddafi Diplomacy

Hugo Chavez's offer to mediate in the Libyan crisis marks the Venezuelan president's latest attention-grabbing foray onto the world stage, yet analysts warn that he risks "ending up on the wrong side of history" if he stands by Muammar Gaddafi's internationally discredited regime.

Protesters Converge on Iraq Capital

Hundreds of people have converged on Baghdad's Tahrir, or Liberation, Square for an anti-government demonstration despite a vehicle ban that forced many to walk for hours to the heart of the Iraqi capital.

Ivorian Women Fatally Shot at Rally

Security forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, Cote d'Ivoire's disputed president, have shot dead at least six women at a demonstration in support of his rival, Alassane Ouattara, witnesses said.

Fresh Protests Break Out In Oman

Fresh protests have taken place in the Gulf sultanate of Oman, following a wave of pro-democracy demonstrations across the Arab world. The unrest in Sohar has been a rare outbreak of discontent in the normally calm sultanate of Oman.

Pakistan Minorities Minister Killed

Pakistan's minister for minorities has been shot dead by armed men in Islamabad.