A Taiwan court imposed a life sentence on former President Chen Shui-bian after convicting him of corruption today, marking a watershed in the island's turbulent political history.

Moldova’s pro-Western parties said they’ll forge an alliance after winning a narrow lead in parliamentary elections – a stinging setback to Europe’s last communist-run government.

Protesters stormed parliament in the eastern state of Moldova today smashing windows and setting fire to furniture in a violent demonstration against what they said were fraudulent elections.

Italy is facing the prospect of an early election or the formation of an interim government after the resignation of prime minister Romano Prodi.

Russian president Vladimir Putin’s party was on course for a landslide victory tonight as early results showed they had clinched more than 60% of the vote.

Ukraine's Orange Revolution allies made a strong showing in parliamentary elections and looked poised to win a majority that could steer the country more firmly on to a pro-Western course, an exit poll showed.

Italy’s Senate was expected to back a government measure today and keep the country’s troops in Afghanistan, despite the opposition of some radical leftists in Premier Romano Prodi’s bloc.

Two days after stepping down as prime minister, Romano Prodi appeared closer to returning to office this afternoon, as Italy’s president met with key politicians to discuss forming a new government.

Italy’s president began a second day of talks with political leaders today, in what is expected to be a final round of consultations on the formation of a new government after the resignation of Premier Romano Prodi’s nine-month-old Cabinet.

Italy’s caretaker premier Romano Prodi called on his coalition allies to give him airtight support for another government.

Italy’s caretaker prime minister Romano Prodi summoned his allies to a late night meeting tonight to see if they could commit themselves to backing him convincingly enough to possibly put together another government.

Italy's president began talks with political leaders today to discuss the formation of a new government following the end of Premier Romano Prodi's nine-month-old administration.

Italian premier Romano Prodi resigned after nine months in office following an embarrassing loss by his centre-left government in the Senate on foreign policy.

Italian Premier Romano Prodi resigned last night after his centre-left government embarrassingly lost a Senate vote on foreign policy, including the country’s military mission in Afghanistan.

ITALIAN Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned yesterday after nine months in office following an embarrassing senate defeat by his centre-left government on foreign policy matters, including Italy’s military mission in Afghanistan.

Italy’s government today lost a crucial vote in the Senate over its mission in Afghanistan, a result that could lead to its resignation.

President Viktor Yushchenko signed a memorandum of national unity today with his former Orange Revolution foe, Viktor Yanukovych – a pact the president hopes will secure his pro-Western, reformist policies when his ex-foe becomes prime minister.

Ukraine’s pro-Russian parliamentary majority warned President Viktor Yushchenko today against dissolving parliament and calling new elections, threatening that the move could trigger a battle for power in this ex-Soviet republic.

Only a week after forming his government, Italian Premier Romano Prodi has had to publicly rein in his ministers, trying to control the damage from a series of off-the-cuffs remarks that have created controversy and embarrassment.

New Italian Premier Romano Prodi outlined his centre-left government’s programme today.

Italians had a final day of voting today to deliver a verdict on conservative Premier Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media mogul who failed to jump-start a flat economy in his tenure as the nation’s longest-serving premier since the Second World War.

Pressure today grew on Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko to revive the divided Orange Revolution team as election returns showed combined support for their pro-Western reformist parties outpacing that of the pro-Russian opposition leader.

Moldova’s governing pro-Western Communists won a parliamentary majority in national elections, but fell short of taking enough seats to re-elect President Vladimir Voronin, according to near final results released today.

A compromise deal to save the next European Commission was today rejected by European parliament leaders who want an anti-gay member of the new team axed.

Key European Parliament leaders threatened to veto incoming European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso’s 24 member team today unless he removes a conservative Italian nominee for justice commissioner.

Police are searching for the killer of a candidate in local elections in the southern Italian town of Pompeii after his headless body was found two days after he disappeared on his way to work.

New Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India’s first non-Hindu top leader, paid homage today to former prime ministers before announcing a new cabinet delayed by political wrangling within his new ruling coalition.

Rescuers searched today for around two dozen people still missing after a boat carrying some 150 passengers, mostly school students, capsized off the coast of southern Vietnam.

ALLIES of President Vladimir Putin won a sweeping victory in parliamentary elections, but human rights officials condemned the vote on Monday as short of international legal requirements and a retreat from Russia’s democratic reforms.

Allies of President Vladimir Putin won a sweeping victory in Russia’s elections today but European human rights officials condemned the poll as having fallen short of international legal requirements and representing a retreat from democratic reforms.

The court jester of Russian politics, Vladimir Zhirinovksy, led his nationalist party to a surprisingly strong comeback in the parliamentary elections with his unique mix of bad-boy behaviour, populist politicking – and support for the Kremlin.

The biggest pro-Kremlin party pulled far ahead of its rivals in Russia’s parliamentary elections today, with partial preliminary results suggesting President Vladimir Putin can tighten his grip over the Duma ahead of his own likely re-election bid.

Madame Chiang Kai-shek, famous for using her beauty, charm and fluent English to lobby Washington to help China fight the Japanese and later the Chinese Communists, has died in New York at the age of 105, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said today.

THE Japanese parliament voted down a no-confidence motion against the cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday, clearing the way for final-stage debate on a bill allowing troops to be sent to Iraq.

Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko faced a parliamentary no-confidence vote today after an unlikely alliance of hard-liners and business-oriented centrists demanded the government of Ukraine be ousted.

Russian MPs are preparing a proposal that could force President Vladimir Putin to choose between firing his Cabinet or dissolving parliament.