WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Despite the horrific scenes of destruction, Japan may emerge from its quake-tsunami disaster with a stronger international brand-name as the nation’s resilience wins wide praise.Television stations around the world have broadcast the footage of the seismic waves as they razed homes and carried away cars as if they were toys, stranding dazed survivors on the brutalized landscape.But coverage has also shown another side -- Japanese showing calm as they search for loved ones or

PARIS (AFP) ― International rescue teams were rushing to Japan on Sunday after a 8.8-magnitude earthquake and tsunami left more than 2,000 feared dead, at least 10,000 missing and seriously damaged a nuclear power plant.The world has rallied behind Japan, where tsunami waves up to 10 meters high rolled across the low-lying northeast on Friday, washing away everything in their path.U.S. aircraft ca

Scenes of devastation at heart of Japan disasterSENDAI, Japan (AP) -- She scanned the landscape of debris and destruction, looking at the patch of earth where Japan‘s massive tsunami erased her son’s newly built house so thoroughly that she can‘t even be certain where it once stood.Satako Yusawa teared up but pulled herself together quickly.Because for the 69-year-old widow, there was this to be t

BREGA, Libya (AFP) ― U.S. President Barack Obama said all options were on the table for driving Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi out of power as rebels angrily ruled out talking to a dictator with “blood” on his hands.Despite grave reservations expressed by the U.S. military command, Obama said a no-fly zone was among the “full range” of options as he demanded that Gadhafi “step down from power and leave.”

BEIJING (AP) ― Jittery Chinese authorities staged a show of force to stamp out a mysterious online call for a “Jasmine Revolution,” with hundreds of onlookers but only a handful of people actively joining protests inspired by pro-democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East.Authorities detained activists Sunday, increased the number of police on the streets, disconnected some cell phone text

MANAMA (AP) ― The swelling protests against Bahrain’s rulers gained momentum Wednesday with huge crowds calling for a sweeping political overhaul and the kingdom’s stunned leaders appearing to shift tactics after attempts to crush the uprising stoked rage on the streets and sharp criticism from Western allies.The widening challenges to the Arab world’s political order ― emboldened by the downfall

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― President Barack Obama on Tuesday warned autocratic U.S. allies they cannot crush the Middle East’s youthful “hunger” for change and offered “moral support” to Iranian protesters defying a crackdown.Obama walked a fine line between offering American support for political uprisings after the Egypt revolt and openly offending states that use iron-fisted rule yet have guaranteed U.