International

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 07:58 UTC

  Japanese officials admit radiation levels at nuclear plant are eight times higher

  

  Explosions at a Japanese quake-stricken nuclear plant have led to radiation levels that can affect human health, a senior Japanese official has said. Prime Minister Naoto Kan has urged those living within 30km of the plant to stay indoors.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 05:32 UTC

  Corruption and inflation, main challenges to social stability admits China

  

  Premier Wen Jiabao said on Monday China would pursue political reforms only in a “gradual” manner and within the umbrella of one-party rule, even as he ruled out the likelihood of the recent West Asian uprisings having any impact on China.

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 07:05 UTC

  Second explosion at nuclear plant damaged by Japan’s earthquake

  

  A second explosion has hit the nuclear plant in Japan that was damaged in Friday's earthquake, but officials said it had resisted the blast. TV footage showed smoke rising from Fukushima plant's reactor 3, a day after an explosion hit reactor 1.

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 06:50 UTC

  Brazil preparing plan to stimulate industry and cut knick-knack Chinese imports

  

  Brazil imports too many knick-knacks from China complained Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, who next month makes an official state visit to the Asian giant, according to reports in the Sao Paulo press

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 06:45 UTC

  China working to become a leading defence-industrial power, says British report

  

  China has set its sights on joining the ranks of the world's leading defence-industrial powers, amid growing concerns in India over Beijing's recent assertiveness and its change in policy towards New Delhi's row with Pakistan over Kashmir, according to a top UK think tank.

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 06:36 UTC

  India becomes world’s top weapons importer; US largest exporter, says SIPRI

  

  India replaced China as the world’s top weapons importer, according to a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI, as it aims to modernize its armed forces and project power through the region.

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 03:52 UTC

  Russian oligarchs turn Moscow to the world’s billionaire capital

  

  Russian oligarchs are back with a bang, making Moscow officially the world’s billionaire capital. Profiting from the recent commodity boom, the number of the country’s billionaires — most of whom built their empires during Russia’s anarchic 1990s — grew two thirds to 101, from last year’s 62, according to Forbes.

• Sunday, March 13th 2011 - 00:33 UTC

  Explosion at quake-damaged Japanese nuclear power station; 170.000 evacuated

  

  An estimated 170,000 people have been evacuated from the area around a quake-damaged nuclear power station in north-east Japan that was hit by an explosion, the UN atomic watchdog says.

• Saturday, March 12th 2011 - 23:39 UTC

  Euro-zone tightens budget rules; bail-out facility will buy bonds directly from governments

  

  European leaders widened the scope of the Euro’s rescue fund, authorized it to buy government bonds and eased the terms of Greek bailout loans as they unexpectedly pushed through fresh measures to end the bloc’s debt crisis.

• Saturday, March 12th 2011 - 23:26 UTC

  Arab League calls on UN Security Council for a no-fly zone over Libya

  

  The Arab League threw its support behind calls for a no-fly zone over Libya on Saturday as the Libyan military closed in on the opposition. The League urged on Saturday the United Nations to close Libyan airspace, as forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi continued using war planes to bombard the country's rebels.