Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrived in Canada on Friday for a 11-day goodwill visit, the first since the emperor ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 1989. The royal couple was welcomed by Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and Cooperation Minister Bev Oda on their arrival in Ottawa.
Latest News
Regional
Agence France-Presse - 7/3/2009 6:53 PM GMT
Vietnam, ranked as one of the world's most corrupt countries, has ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the UN said Friday. President Nguyen Minh Triet ratified the convention, a UN statement said, following a report Friday in the Phap Luat Ho Chi Minh City (Ho Chi Minh City Law) newspaper, which said he ratified the pact on Tuesday. Agence France-Presse - 7/3/2009 6:48 PM GMT
A 150 million-dollar project to automate next year's Philippine elections is back on track just days after the winning bidders threatened to walk out on the deal, officials said Friday. Barbados-based Smartmatic Corp. said the firm and its local partners are to to sign the deal with the government's Commission on Elections (Comelec) next week, in time to put the system in place before the country elects a successor to President Gloria Arroyo on May 10. Agence France-Presse - 7/3/2009 5:21 PM GMT
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged the head of Myanmar's military junta to free Aung San Suu Kyi, but the regime stalled on his request to meet the jailed pro-democracy leader. Ban however looked set to have a second chance at persuading iron-fisted ruler Than Shwe after the UN announced that they would have a second, unscheduled meeting on the second and final day of his visit Saturday. Agence France-Presse - 7/3/2009 5:30 PM GMT
The UN atomic watchdog's incoming chief Yukiya Amano promised Friday to do his "utmost" to resolve a long-running nuclear standoff with Iran after governors formally gave their nod of approval to his appointment. As the organisation in charge of nuclear safeguards, the task of the International Atomic Energy Agency's director general was to make sure that member countries stuck to their commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Amano told journalists. Agence France-Presse - 7/3/2009 3:05 PM GMT
UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that the head of Myanmar's junta had stalled on his request to see Aung San Suu Kyi, leaving his mission to seek the democracy icon's release at risk of ending in failure. Ban said military chief Than Shwe had not yet given him permission to see the 64-year-old opposition icon but added that he awaited a final reply before his "very tough" two-day visit ends on Saturday. 
Top Story
Latest Top Stories
The African Union decided Friday not to act on an international war crimes warrant for Sudan's president, at a summit that also yielded a deal on the powers of a new regional Authority. The refusal to arrest Sudan President Omar al-Beshir granted a continent-wide reprieve to a leader accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Agence France-Presse - 7/3/2009 8:13 PM GMT
Latest Regional News
Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrived in Canada on Friday for a 11-day goodwill visit, the first since the emperor ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 1989. The royal couple was welcomed by Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and Cooperation Minister Bev Oda on their arrival in Ottawa.
Agence France-Presse - 7/3/2009 7:01 PM GMT
Latest Sci-Tech News
Rampant piracy and a crumbling market for CDs has put the music industry in Asia under immense pressure, but experts are hoping that technology and social media will help fill the gap. While demand for music continues to rise across the region, the global economic downturn has accelerated the Internet-fueled fall in sales of physical music.
Agence France-Presse - 7/3/2009 4:39 AM GMT
advertisement
More on MSN
Get your daily dose of celebrity gossip and news. Find out what's happening in Hollywood and beyond in the big, bad showbiz world.
Need a well earned break? Looking for a great travel deal? Start your search at MSN Travel for all the best flight and hotel deals.
Try Dating & Personals by match.com. Whether it's to meet new people or anything more, with over 8 million members, someone’s sure to catch your eye.