World News: Strauss-Kahn faces fresh sexual assault accusations

With France debating his possible return to presidential politics, Strauss-Kahn swiftly hit back at author Tristane Banon's plans to take him to court, labelling her account "imaginary" and countering with his own plans to file a criminal complaint of slander.

The sordid exchange may have deep ramifications for the 2012 presidential race in France, where voters are evenly split about whether he should take on current President Nicolas Sarkozy if the American case against him collapses completely.

"I only want one thing - that he comes back to France, with his presumption of innocence, so that we can go before a court," Banon told a magazine.

Banon, 31, said on a 2007 TV show that she had been attacked five years earlier by a politician she had interviewed for a book in his apartment. She later identified him as Strauss-Kahn.

"It finished very violently," she said. "I kicked him. He opened my bra. He tried to undo my jeans."

Suu Kyi savours country jaunt

Burma's democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi visited an ancient city of temples and met her youngest son on her first trip into the countryside since her release from house arrest in November. The 66-year-old plans to spend four days in Bagan where son Kim Aris is visiting from Britain.

Quake rocks New Zealand

A POWERFUL earthquake struck New Zealand's North Island today but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued.

The GeoNet agency measured the earthquake at magnitude 6.5. The epicentre was 45 miles south-west of Rotorua.

'Rude' Japan minister quits

Japan's disaster reconstruction minister resigned today just a week into his new job, after making offensive remarks during a visit to the tsunami-devastated north-east coast, where he refused to shake a governor's hand, scolded the official and threatened to withhold aid.

Ryu Matsumoto told the governor of Iwate, one of the hardest-hit prefectures, that the government would not help municipalities that did not have good ideas about rebuilding.

Fishing trip ends in tragedy

American tourists on a fishing trip were plunged into the Gulf of California in the middle of the night after a flash storm upended their boat, killing at least one man and leaving seven others missing.

The Mexican navy rescued 19 tourists and all 16 crew members, who clung to coolers, rescue rings and life vests for hours.

Bomb blast kills soldier in Pakistan

Pakistan: Intelligence officials say a roadside bomb hit an army vehicle near the Afghan border, killing one soldier and wounding 14 others.

The officials say the attack happened in Miran Shah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal area.

India: Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad caused outrage by calling homosexuality a "disease" and "completely unnatural" during a conference on HIV/Aids.