Brazil will surpass Britain to become the sixth largest economy in the world this year, according to a British study published on Monday.

The death toll from killer floods in the Philippines surged by more than 200 on Tuesday, more than a week after the disaster struck, with officials expecting more corpses to be found.

As the Republic grapples with an ageing population, policymakers would soon have a snapshot of the state of health of seniors here - a database which would also enable them to formulate better-targeted prevention programmes - as preparations begin for a major islandwide health screening exercise.

 

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) shakes hands with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2011. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

European stocks and the euro will face fresh turbulence in 2012 after a year in which equity markets slumped and the single currency lost ground against the dollar mainly due to the eurozone crisis.

Two private delegations, led respectively by South Korea's former first lady and the chairwoman of Hyundai Group, crossed into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday to pay condolences over the death of DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-il. Lee Hee-Ho (C), widow of former South Korean president Kim Dae-Jung, and Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jeong-Eun (R) leave for North Korea at the inter-Korea transit office in Paju.

The upper house of parliament approved the 30-billion-euro package (39 billion U.S. dollars) -- Italy's third austerity plan since June -- in a 257-to-41 confidence vote.

According to Education Minister Eugen Jurzyca, the public could access a total of 26 digitalised textbooks, compulsory-reading books and download 65 audio-recordings on the website of eaktovka.sk.

China ’s Vice President Xi Jinping arrived in Thailand ’s capital city of Bangkok on Dec. 22, beginning his three-day official visit to Thailand .  

Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to redeploy their troops from the disputed border area, a move to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dated July 18, 2011.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III will declare a state of national calamity following the extensive destruction to lives and property by tropical storm Washi (local name Sendong) in central and southern part of the country.

More than 17,000 chickens started to be culled at a poultry market in Hong Kong Wednesday after a chicken carcass there tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

Exports to Africa earned US$3.08 billion, up 125 percent compared to the same period in 2010. South Africa was Vietnam’s largest market, importing US$1.71 billion worth of goods, followed by Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

The fourth Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS-4) Summit on the theme “Towards a New Decade of GMS Strategic Development Partnership” officially opened in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on December 20 with the participation of the six member nations including Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, China and Vietnam.