Bahrain's elections overshadowed by crackdown on Shia protesters

A Bahraini woman walks past election campaign billboards near Manama. Photograph: Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images
It's hard to miss the signs on the streets of Manama: King Hamad peering benignly from giant billboards, and everywhere pictures of smiling candidates in spotless white dishdashas and headdresses pledging to build more houses, fight corruption...

The feting of Dmitry Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel at this month's tripartite summit between France, Germany and Russia. Photograph: Philippe Wojazer/REUTERS
Nato's Lisbon summit next month is in danger of becoming the stage for a triumphal procession by Russia's leather-jacketed president, Dmitry Medvedev. The mystery is what, exactly, Moscow has ...

Iran loads fuel rods into Bushehr nuclear reactor

Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA
Iran began loading fuel into the core of its first nuclear power plant today, moving closer to starting up the facility.

Death of Gulf emirate ruler Sheikh Saqr prompts fight over succession

Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qassimi, left, the late ruler of Ras al-Khaimah, with his son Sheikh Khalid. Photograph: Nasser Younes/AFP/Getty Images
One of the most bizarre international coup attempts of recent times, whose key players include a family solicitor from Buckinghamshire and an exiled Arab crown prince, entered its endgame today with the death of Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad ...

French retirement age reforms 'almost certain' to be passed

The French finance minister, Christine Lagarde, said the protest movement had reached a 'turning point'. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
France's lower house, the national assembly, is today expected to pass Nicolas Sarkozy's controversial plan to increase the retirement age, as unions vowed to continue their strikes and protests despite signs of dwindling support.

Chinese city wardens wanted: must be young, female and pretty

A team of policewomen patrol the streets of Zhengzhou in central China's Henan province. They are part of a special squad of young, attractive female officers formed by the city of Zhengzhou's police department. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
A good temperament might be an obvious requirement for a city warden. Good looks? Perhaps less so.

Mikhail Gorbachev says Russia is moving 'away from democracy

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says country's leaders are anti-democratic. Photograph: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
Mikhail Gorbachev, the former leader of the Soviet Union, has issued a sharp criticism of Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, and the prime minister, Vladimir Putin, saying they are "doing everything they can to move away from democracy, to stay in power".

Hitmen kill fifteen in massacre at Mexican carwash

The crime scene in Tepic, Mexico, where 15 people were killed by hitmen. Photograph: Nayarit En L Nea/EPA
Suspected drug hitmen shot dead 15 people at a carwash in western Mexico yesterday, the third massacre in just a few days, putting new pressure on President Felipe Calderón to stop the growing violence.

Indonesian tsunami warning system 'had been vandalised

Rescuers are continuing to look for survivors on Indonesia's tsunami-hit islands in West Sumatra Link to this video

Villagers in Indonesia were deprived of an advanced alert that a tsunami was heading towards them because part of an early warning system had been vandalised, an Indonesian official said.

Hotel Rwanda manager faces terror-funding charges

The former Rwandan hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina, pictured with his wife Tatiana in 2005, denies sending money to allegedly fund Rwandan opposition commanders. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP
The Rwandan hotel manager whose story was told in the film Hotel Rwanda could face charges by Rwandan authorities over allegations he sent money to opposition commanders, the country's top