US to move majority of warships to Asia-Pacific

The US is set to reposition its Navy fleet with the majority of its warships to be assigned to the Asia-Pacific by 2020. But this military strategy has nothing to do with US-Chinese rivalry in the region, the Defence Secretary assures.

Full Story

Putin visits China to tighten key alliance

President Vladimir Putin visits China Tuesday on the first trip to Asia of his new Kremlin mandate to tighten an increasingly close alliance that is key for Russia’s diplomatic and economic strategy.

Full Story

Rapper denies her dancers had a hand in fan’s death

Rapper Nicki Minaj has denied claims her dancers were involved in the death of a young Irish fan whose body was found in a hotel room after attending a Tokyo concert. In a posting on her Twitter account, Minaj, who has worked alongside Rihanna and Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am, expressed her condolences over the death of the 21-year-old student.

Full Story

Queen Elizabeth leads giant jubilee river pageant

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sails on a royal barge down the River Thames Sunday as part of a huge pageant marking her diamond jubilee, in one of the biggest events of its kind in London's history. The flotilla of more than 1,000 boats is the high water mark of the national celebrations for the 86-year-old monarch's 60th year on the throne but the event also poses formidable security challenges.

Full Story

‘Royal family do nothing but sit on their backsides and wave at people’:

Oxford students against Jubilee tribute

Students at Oxford University have voted against hanging the portrait of the British Queen as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations because she was “born into privilege”. Students at Keble College, whose alumni include the Duke of Kent’s grandson Edward Windsor, disagreed with plans to spend £200 on a picture of Queen Elizabeth saying “the general feeling was that enough is already being” spent on celebrations marking the Queen’s 60th year of reign.

Full Story