The Australian Parliament continues to sit in a surreal session in which policy still takes second place to a leadership spill.

Israel is worried about continued arms supplies to the Syrian regime from Russia.

The danger is that the techniques devised today by NSA data miners to track potential terrorists may tomorrow be employed by private sector, writes Gehan Gunasekara.

The British Government has been battered by claims over spying and Syria as the G8 summit begins in Northern Ireland.

The surprise victory of reformist candidate Hassan Rowhani in the Iranian presidential elections triggered a predictably harsh reaction yesterday.

Australia's Parliament resumed yesterday for its final eight days before the September 14 election, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard fending off attacks.

This mayoral hopeful in Mexico promises to eat, sleep most of the day and donate his leftover litter to fill potholes.

British Prime Minister David Cameron will support American plans to impose a no-fly zone over parts of Syria.

Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee has extended the date for submissions on the controversial GCSB spy agency bill by eight days.

Revelations that a Liberal fundraising dinner menu contained denigrating sexual references to Julia Gillard embarrassed the party yesterday.

Short of a last-minute bloodbath that would almost certainly destroy whatever slim chance remains of Labor's survival.

Revelations of snooping into private data and communications on a massive scale by the Obama Administration has shed a little dayligh.

A former spy boss says New Zealand is a democratic and free country because of our relationship with the United States and other large powers.

Iran's clerical authorities are taking no chances in this week's election for a successor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's leadership again hangs by a thread as Labor MPs in fear of their seats increasingly swing to ousted predecessor Kevin Rudd.

On May 29, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told Democracy Now! that the Obama Administration's bid to convict Bradley Manning was a "show trial".

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has told his Japanese counterpart that he is hopeful Japan will be open to resuming talks with New Zealand to find a diplomatic solution to whaling.

The Australian Parliament rose this week for a break before its final two-week session ahead of the September 14 election, leaving Prime Minister Julia Gillard less than 100 days to perform a miracle.

Revelations that a convicted terrorist passed scrutiny as an asylum seeker and was held in a low-security detention centre has sharpened criticism of the Government's failure to control boat arrivals from Indonesia.

The defence for Bradley Manning sought to score early points at his trial yesterday.

Editorial: For 90 years, the modern secular state forged by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire has, by and large, served Turkey well.

Peers from all parties have warned the House of Lords it would exceed its powers if it derailed plans to legalise gay marriage.

A 22-year-old man died in hospital after being shot during anti-government protests in southern Turkey, as trade unions prepare to strike in support of those on the streets.

Egypt depends utterly on irrigation water from the Nile to grow its food. Even now there is not enough and Egypt's population is still growing fast, writes Gwynne Dyer.