Turkey's image abroad is suffering because of a crippling domestic political crisis that has shaken confidence in the financial markets, said Turkish president in an interview with FT.

Rice prices have risen for a sixth consecutive day as global supplies continue to be stretched by cyclone damage to crops in Myanmar which is the world's sixth largest rice producer.

Turkish government was not relaxed but resolute to curb the inflation rates in single digit, Turkish State Minister for economy Mehmet Simsek said on Friday.

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is being investigated for allegedly illegally pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a US businessman, local media reported late Thursday.

Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York is coming under increasing pressure to withdraw from the Democratic presidential nomination race, U.S. media said Thursday.

More than 101,000 children were registered with the social security system in April by their parents to take advantage of a grandfather clause in a new social security law.

The detention of Turkish Doctors Union (TTB) Chairman Gençay Gursoy by the police in the early hours of Saturday morning in Ankara has attracted wide criticism.

EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Thursday that full democracy and 'democratic secularism' was needed in Turkey in order to become a full EU member.

The UN estimated 1.5 mln people have been "severely affected" by the cyclone in Myanmar, as the people expressed outrage with the country's junta over delays in allowing in aid.

Fears of new Lebanon civil war are mounting. Fighting intensified in Lebanon streets after Hezbollah said the government's actions were "tantamount to a declaration of war".

Turkey's leading labor unions stiffened their criticism against the IMF-sought social security reform as the President Abdullah Gul approved the bill, that raises the retirement age to 65.

Turkey will cut this year's budget deficit to 12-13 billion new Turkish liras (YTL) ($9.6-10.4 bn) after changing the law to allow privatisation revenues to be transferred to the budget

The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq was captured in the northern city of Mosul, Iraqi officials said. The US military officials were surprised about the report of Abu Ayyub al-Masri's capture.

A US couple checking their answering machine heard a frightening three-minute recording of their son caught in a battle in Afghanistan. The couple experienced shocking moments.