'SECURITY LAPSE': In a rare breach of security in Singapore, a suspected leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah escaped from jail during a bathroom visit
Interpol said that it has issued a worldwide security alert following the escape of the alleged leader of an Islamic terror group from a jail in Singapore.

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HANDED OVER: After a 14-year-old girl decided not to press charges against a Marine accused of raping her, officials promised to try to prevent a reoccurence
Japan vowed to crackdown on crimes involving US troops based in the country after a surprise decision by prosecutors not to pursue rape charges against a US Marine, reports said yesterday.

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New South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called for better relations with former colonial ruler Japan yesterday, saying his nation should look to the future instead of dwelling too much on the past.

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A Pakistani court yesterday acquitted the brother of former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif of charges that he ordered police to kill five people in 1998.

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The chief US negotiator on North Korea's nuclear disarmament arrived in Beijing yesterday, a US official said, as he tried to find a breakthrough in the deadlocked six-nation talks.

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ACCORDING TO THE PLAN: The Turkish prime minister said all the objectives were met against the PKK, while an expert called for the use of targeted assassinations
Truckloads of Turkish troops, many of them weary and unshaven, returned from Iraq on Friday as Turkey ended a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels after eight days, meeting US demands for a quick campaign. Washington and Baghdad welcomed the move, but Turkish officials warned they would send forces back into Iraq if they deemed it necessary.

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Kosovo Albanian leaders are "terrorists," the US is an "ignorant aggressor" and Serbia is a victim that must turn to Russia for help.

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'LIMITED AT BEST': Transparency International said that Putin's favorite, Dmitry Medvedev, received more media coverage than his three main opponents combined
Russian President Vladimir Putin urged voters on Friday to turn out for presidential polls and choose a candidate equal to the "complex and large tasks" facing Russia, as pre-election campaigning wrapped up.

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Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has warned a maverick lawmaker of the risks to Dutch national interests if he presses ahead with a film criticizing the Koran.

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Armenian police yesterday dispersed opposition protesters from the Freedom Square in Yerevan, sweeping away a tent camp after 11 days of non-stop demonstrations against alleged vote rigging.

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REVERSAL: The number of killings rose again following a 23-month low in January. On Friday, the pope condemned the kidnapping of a Catholic archbishop in the north
The number of Iraqis killed last month rose by 33 percent over the previous month, reversing a six-month trend of fewer casualties, ministerial figures showed yesterday.

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THE LATEST ESSAY: The former Cuban leader defended the candidates chosen for the new government, comparing two council members with US hopeful John McCain
Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Friday he helped choose candidates for Cuba's new government, and asserted that his brother Raul Castro is fully in charge as the new president.

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China has proven a reliable punching bag, and potential vote-getter, for US presidential candidates: The fast-growing country's massive factories, staffed by underpaid workers, fill US stores with tainted food and dangerous toys, voters are told.

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Protesters jammed the streets of Haiti's capital on Friday to mark the fourth anniversary of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's ouster, with thousands marching to the presidential palace to demand his return from exile.

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US Attorney-General Michael Mukasey is refusing to refer to the federal grand jury contempt citations issued by the House of Representatives against two of President George W. Bush's aides. Mukasey said White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former presidential counsel Harriet Miers have committed no crime.

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■ AUSTRALIA

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