Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard addresses a press conference in Canberra on March 21, 2013. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has managed to hold onto her position as the leader of the country’s Labor Party. The 51-year-old Gillard remained the party leader after a vote on Thursday, as MP Kevin Rudd failed to garner enough party support to replace her. “This is a difficult day... 

North Korea has entered a “state of war” against its Southern neighbor, stating that from now on any issues between the two countries will be resolved in a “wartime manner.” “From this time on, the North-South relations will be entering the state of war and all issues raised between the North and the South will be handled accordingly,” a special statement by the country’s top... 

The U.S. considers itself the most democratic country in the world. At the same time, the country is a leader when it comes to surveillance of its own citizens. If earlier more resources were required to monitor citizens, now extensive networks, high-speed computers and other modern technology significantly reduce costs. The Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, commenting on the total implementation... 

Cypriots queue for banks, which reopened after 12 days Thursday, as President Nicos Anastasiades cuts own wages by 25%. The Cypriot foreign minister promises banking restrictions will be lifted in “about a month”. A European Central Bank (ECB) spokesman confirmed that 5 billion euros were flown into Cyprus from Germany late Wednesday in time for the reopening of the banks on Thursday, The ECB... 

Pyongyang has ordered rocket units be put on standby to fire on US bases in the South Pacific. “The time has come to settle accounts with the US imperialists in view of the prevailing situation,” North Korean leader declared, according to state media. It follows a US B-2 flyover of South Korea that saw dummy ammunition dropped as part of a joint military drill Thursday. The North Korean leader... 

SA-3 ground-to-air missiles are displayed during a military parade in Pyongyang The United States Department of Defense has said it takes North Korea’s latest threats to strike targets on the US mainland, Hawaii, and Guam very seriously. “We are concerned by any threat raised by the North Koreans,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said on Tuesday. “We take everything they say and everything... 

France has sent some 350 troops to the Central African Republic to counter the Seleka fighters, who have allegedly taken control of the capital city of Bangui. According to a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday, some 150 French military personnel were dispatched from Libreville, the capital of Gabon, a day after 200 French troops arrived in Bangui. This comes after fighters... 

President warns ‘extremists thrive in chaos’ as he resists US lawmakers’ calls to involve US any deeper in Syrian uprising. Barack Obama delivered a grave warning on Friday about the danger of post-Assad Syria becoming a haven for Islamist extremists. He portrayed a nightmare scenario in which Syrian institutions were destroyed beyond recognition and the country divided by sectarianism,... 

The U.S. Senate passed unanimously an amendment to its budget resolution on Saturday, March 24, which supported attempts to block Iran’s access to its foreign exchange reserves and limit Iran’s ability to transact in Euros. The amendment, proposed by Republican Mark Kirk of Illinois and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, follows a letter sent last month to European Council leaders by U.S.... 

The US House of Representatives quietly passed a last-minute addition to the Agricultural Appropriations Bill for 2013 last week – including a provision protecting genetically modified seeds from litigation in the face of health risks. The rider, which is officially known as the Farmer Assurance Provision, has been derided by opponents of biotech lobbying as the “Monsanto Protection Act,”... 

Israeli soldiers stand in an abandoned military outpost on Tal Hazika near Alonei Habshan in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, November 15, 2012. Israeli forces have fire rockets at the Syrian army across from the occupied Golan Heights, an Israeli military official says. The Israeli military said its troops were fired upon in the Golan Heights on Sunday. The Israeli soldiers responded with “accurate... 

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg attracted the ire of the National Rifle Association by announcing a pricey ad campaign that he hopes will “level the playing field” against the influence of America’s powerful gun lobby. Bloomberg, who ranks among the top 10 wealthiest Americans, is bankrolling the $12 million television ad campaign for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns in an effort to get... 

Documentary Filmmaker Michael Moore plays a race card on MSNBC’s Ed show… “Did you realize that over 90% of the guns in this country are owned by white people in the suburbs and in rural areas? Ninety-percent of our guns are not owned by African-Americans, hispanics, minority groups, they’re owned by white people. Now are these white people so afraid of out in the suburbs? Are they thinking... 

US President Barack Obama must treat Iran interests seriously by accepting it as an unavoidably important regional player if he wants a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear issue, American analysts say. In an article published on Aljazeera website on Friday, Hillary Mann Leverett and Flynt Leverett, co-authors of the book Going to Tehran: Why the United States Must Come to Terms with the Islamic... 

Germany is looking for ways to fund its major geopolitical projects. Taking money from the German citizens is dangerous as it may not be appreciated. German authorities set their sights on Russia. The Germans will take money from Russia without even asking for permission. Recently the Russian-German relations have not been the greatest. Of course, they are not at the level of the Russian-American...