Africa/International

U.S. housing prices overall are expected to hit bottom by spring 2011 and begin a gradual rise in 2012, Frank Nothaft, chief economist and vice president of housing lender Freddie Mac said on Wednesday. "I do think we'll see these housing…

President Obama, facing the challenge of consoling Arizona and uniting the nation, urged Americans on Wednesday not to point fingers of blame but to "expand our moral imaginations" and to "sharpen our instincts for empathy." Speaking at…

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange vowed Tuesday to step up his site's release of secret documents while he fights extradition to Sweden, as his lawyers argued that sending him to Stockholm could land him in Guantanamo Bay or even on U.S.…

Common painkillers such as ibuprofen and diclofenac as well as branded pain drugs from Pfizer Inc, Merck & Co Inc and Novartis AG can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, a review found on Wednesday. Scientists from Bern…

Economic growth likely slowed sharply around the turn of the year and retail sales fell in the crucial Christmas trading month of December, according to two surveys published on Tuesday. The surveys make grim reading in what Prime…

Iran has arrested about 70 Christians since Christmas in a crackdown that demonstrates the limits of religious tolerance by Islamic leaders who often boast they provide room for other faiths. The latest raids have targeted grass-roots…

Portugal insists that it does not need an international bailout to solve its debt problems. It faces a bond auction Wednesday that could reveal the price of going it alone — and perhaps even add to the European financial crisis. Investors…

Queensland's flood crisis continues to hit corporate Australia, as local stocks and the dollar come under pressure on economic concerns. The Australian dollar is continuing to face heavy pressure on the back of the crippling impact of the…

Vodafone Australia is faced with two major hurdles as thousands of customers threaten class legal action against them for poor network quality; and subscribers’ database also get exposed because an insider revealed access password to…

Oil was steady above $89 on Tuesday, paring early gains on expectations that the Trans Alaska Pipeline would resume flows equivalent to 12 percent of U.S. crude output within a few days. U.S. crude for February gained 1 cents to $89.26 a…