DENIED: An AIDS and environmental activist, Hu Jia had been confined to his Beijing apartment for more than 200 days before he was taken away by officials on Dec. 27
An outspoken Chinese civil rights activist who dedicated himself to chronicling the plight of other dissidents went on trial yesterday on subversion charges.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi unveiled a streamlined 68-member Cabinet yesterday, dropping half the ministers in his previous administration and keeping the crucial finance portfolio for himself.

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Thailand's interior minister said yesterday he had "no idea" how to curb unrest in the nation's Muslim-majority south, as the government arranged for an emergency meeting following a deadly hotel attack.

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STALEMATE: North Korea also accused US-backed radio stations of broadcasting an increasing number of `provocative' programs criticizing the government
North Korea said yesterday it has agreed with the US to continue working to resolve a stalemate in international negotiations over the North's promise to fully declare its nuclear weapons programs.

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A painful breakup with his wife has prompted a man to put his entire life -- his house, his car, his job, even his friends -- up for sale online in an effort to start over.

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POWER: The country's top court was due to meet amid a looming showdown between the new parliament and President Pervez Musharraf over judges he deposed last year
The party of slain Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto nominated a close associate of her widower to be parliament's first female speaker yesterday, but divisions remained over who should be the next prime minister.

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TENSE: Soldiers held key positions in Mitrovica, where Serbs opposed to Kosovo's independence clashed with UN police and NATO peacekeepers on Monday
Japan recognized Kosovo as an independent state yesterday as NATO troops secured a hostile strip of north Kosovo.

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Russia and the US struck an optimistic note yesterday before talks that are likely to be tough on nuclear arms control, NATO expansion and US plans to build a missile defense shield.

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MISUNDERSTOOD: Accused of jailing opponents, rigging elections and supporting a secret police force, Alexander Lukashenko is looking for an image makeover
He has been dubbed Europe's last dictator. He is known for jailing his political enemies, closing down theater productions and presiding -- in the words of one opposition leader -- over a "horrible" regime.

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The US sought on Monday to defuse tension with the EU over negotiations to allow member states to join a program for visa-free US travel.

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Poor, rural women bear the brunt of South Africa's HIV epidemic as they face sexual abuse and discrimination, rights body Amnesty International (AI) said yesterday, urging government action.

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Strikes by millions of workers protesting against pension reforms have thrown Greece into chaos, with rolling blackouts and piles of rotting rubbish posing health risks nationwide.

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The number of Iraqis applying for asylum across the EU almost doubled last year, rising from 19,375 to 38,286, reflecting the growing chaos in the country, UN figures released yesterday showed.

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SLEEPOVER: A conference to reconcile Iraq's warring political groups began to unravel even before it began, with the main Sunni Muslim Arab bloc pulling out
Rallying troops after an overnight stay at an air base, US Vice President Dick Cheney said yesterday that as long as freedom is suppressed in the Middle East, the region will remain a place of "stagnation, resentment and violence ready for export."

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VENEZUELAN FUNDS? : Peruvian President Alan Garcia's Cabinet chief Jorge del Castillo said Peru would not tolerate any foreign meddling
Authorities in Peru arrested two Peruvians on Monday as they tried to enter the country from Ecuador carrying some US$150,000 in cash, and a top official said they are linked to groups that may be funded by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government.

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The pilot of a ship that spilled thousands of liters of oil into San Francisco Bay last November was charged by federal prosecutors on Monday with criminal negligence and breaking environmental laws.

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PLAINTIFF: US mayors and coalitions against domestic violence argue that easy access to handguns causes murder rates to rise, but gun rights advocates disagree
The US Supreme Court yesterday was to begin weighing an individual's right to bear arms against a community's right to restrict gun ownership for public safety, an emotional issue that has long divided Americans.

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