Kazakh council to rule on extension to leader's rule

Kazakh council to rule on extension to leader's rule
Exclusive: Rousseff "starting over" in Brazil jets tender
Ethnic tensions revived in Ivory Coast
Irish PM to hold a confidence vote
Hezbollah, allies will not support Hariri for PM (Reuters)
As Vietnam booms, Communist Party struggles to keep up (Reuters)
In shell-shocked Tunisia, armed groups now patrol the streets (The Christian Science Monitor)
As Brazil floods death toll rises, so does the tide of local volunteers (The Christian Science Monitor)
Forbes China: Five Overvalued China Stocks
Many killed in Pakistan bus blast
Portman and Firth win Golden Globes
As Vietnam booms, Communist Party struggles to keep up
Hope, uncertainty as people flock back to Southern Sudan
Irish PM calls confidence motion on leadership
Tunisia's PM to form new government
Explosion on bus in NW Pakistan kills at least 15 (AP)
Glacier melt in Peru becomes more than a climate issue
Tunisia's PM to form new government
More rain forecast in Brazil
More rain forecast in Brazil

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:54 PM PST

ASTANA (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's president on Monday asked a constitution council to examine a proposed referendum on a 10-year extension to his rule, which would allow him to bypass two elections and lead the oil-rich nation unopposed until 2020.

Exclusive: Rousseff "starting over" in Brazil jets tender

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:48 PM PST

BRASILIA (Reuters) - New Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has decided to delay awarding a multi-billion dollar Air Force jet contract and reevaluate the finalists' bids, in a move that could signal a realignment of Brazil's strategic and defense alliances, sources with knowledge of the decision told Reuters.

Ethnic tensions revived in Ivory Coast

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 02:48 PM PST

Ethnic tensions in the Ivory Coast have been revived following November's disputed elections, which have seen Laurent Gbagbo refusing to step down to make way for Alassane Ouattara, the challenger regarded by international powers as the winner.

Irish PM to hold a confidence vote

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 08:32 PM PST

The Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen has refused to resign, despite party unease over his handling of the economic crisis.

Hezbollah, allies will not support Hariri for PM (Reuters)

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 01:31 PM PST

Reuters - Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Sunday his group and its allies would not back caretaker prime minister Saad al-Hariri to form a new government in talks expected to begin on Monday.

As Vietnam booms, Communist Party struggles to keep up (Reuters)

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:32 PM PST

Reuters - Vietnam's ruling Communists are replenishing their aging ranks with younger, better-educated policymakers and entrepreneurs as the 81-year-old party founded by Marxist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh struggles to stay relevant.

In shell-shocked Tunisia, armed groups now patrol the streets (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 01:25 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Young men armed with makeshift clubs patrolled their neighborhood streets in central Tunis Sunday, preparing to defend against looters or violent attackers after a day and a half of chaos that followed the departure of President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali Friday.

As Brazil floods death toll rises, so does the tide of local volunteers (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 12:33 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - The death toll from Brazilâ€™s most lethal floods in memory shot past 600 Sunday, and it's still rising as rescuers continue to dig through mudslides in the aftermath of last week's torrential rains.

Forbes China: Five Overvalued China Stocks

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:24 PM PST

China's domestic stock market had a rough year in 2010: the main stock index at the Shanghai Stock E

Many killed in Pakistan bus blast

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:30 PM PST

Officials report that at least 15 people dead after explosion in the country's northwest.

Portman and Firth win Golden Globes

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:24 PM PST

Collecting four trophies including best picture was Social Network, a film about the founders of Facebook.

As Vietnam booms, Communist Party struggles to keep up

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:32 PM PST

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's ruling Communists are replenishing their aging ranks with younger, better-educated policymakers and entrepreneurs as the 81-year-old party founded by Marxist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh struggles to stay relevant.

Hope, uncertainty as people flock back to Southern Sudan

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:20 PM PST

For years, in some cases decades, they survived persistent and intense violence, lived in often squalid refugee camps or tough cities and were treated as second-class citizens in what -- at least for a few more months -- has been their country.

Irish PM calls confidence motion on leadership

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 09:25 PM PST

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen defied calls to resign as head of the ruling Fianna Fail party on Sunday and instead offered colleagues the chance to vote on his leadership in a secret ballot this week.

Tunisia's PM to form new government

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 09:21 PM PST

The country remains tense after the ousting of the president - but the prime minister is promising to announce a new government soon.

Explosion on bus in NW Pakistan kills at least 15 (AP)

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 10:14 PM PST

AP - An explosion ripped through a minibus traveling in a militant-infested area of northwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing at least 15 people, police said.

Glacier melt in Peru becomes more than a climate issue

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 08:39 PM PST

Without international help to build reservoirs and dams and improve irrigation, Peru could become a case study in how climate change can destabilize a strategically important region.