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UN diplomat Brahimi to take over from Annan as envoy to SyriaLakhdar Brahimi brings a long record of working in the Arab and Islamic world. The former Algerien foreign minister has unified support of the Security Council, according to a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Brahimi is well-known for not taking orders from the big powers.
Why Pussy Riot supporters hold rallies from New York to BerlinThe Russian punk rock band spawned small bands of supporters dressed as Pussy Riot look-a-likes Friday dozens of cities worldwide. The three women were sentence Friday to two years in prison for hooliganism.
Kazakh opposition leader on trial for attempting to overthrow governmentVladimir Kozlov faces 13 years in prison if convicted of charges that include orchestrating dissent among striking oil workers. Observers fear the trial could undermine some of the country's progress in developing a multiparty democracy.
Japan sends jailed Chinese activists home to diffuse diplomatic rowOne group of Chinese protesters, arrested earlier this week by Japanese authorities for landing on an island at the heart of a diplomatic dispute, arrived home to a hero's welcome.
Boredom, stress accompany Julian Assange in prisonThe once globe-trotting WikiLeaks founder is confined to several hundred square feet of space inside Ecuador's London embassy.
Russian band Pussy Riot sentenced to two years in prisonThe judge in Moscow said the three women were blasphemers who had deliberately offended Russian Orthodox believers by storming the altar of a cathedral in Feburary. President Putin's opponents portray the trial as part of a wider crackdown to crush their protest movement.
Striking miners killed by police leaves South Africa in shockAfter the move against 3,000 striking drill operators that caused 34 deaths and left dozens wounded on Thursday northwest of Johannesburg, a nation is asking itself the question of what has really changed since the end of the apartheid.- Low on fuel on a Damascus runway, Air France asks passengers for cashHe said聽Air聽France聽found a way to pay for the fill-up without tapping customer pockets 鈥� and apologized for the inconvenience. The airline had never resorted to such a request before, he said.
Chinese president meets with uncle of North Korea's Kim Jong-unHu Jintao held a meeting Friday with Jang song-thaek, an uncle of the new North Korean leader, in Beijing.
Russian feminist band Pussy Riot found guilty of hooliganismThe sentence has yet to be issued, the verdict is spoken: The three Russian women are guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. Pussy Riot had stormed the altar of Moscow's cathedral in February. The charges raised concern abroad about freedom of speech in Russia.
Syria has 'chosen the path of war', says U.N.Without a peace to monitor, U.N. peacekeepers will leave Syria by August 24. Diplomats will meet at the United Nations in New York on Friday to discuss next steps.聽
Will WikiLeaks founder Assange go free?Ecuador's government offered asylum to聽Julian Assange, the founder of聽WikiLeaks, on Thursday. But the British government will not allow him safe passage out of their country where he's been living in the Ecuadorian embassy for the past 60 days.聽
Police in South Africa shoot dead several striking minersIt appears to be one of the bloodiest police operations in South Africa since the end of the apartheid: Police in Johannesburg killed and wounded dozens in an operation intended to disperse 3,000 protesting drill operators who had massed near the mine.- UN to end observer mission in SyriaConditions for possibly extending the United Nations' military observer mission 鈥� reduction of violence and no use of heavy weapons 鈥� had not been met, France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud announced. The current president of the Security Council said the mandate would end Sunday.
Suffering Spanish farm workers on the march for helpHaving to deal with mass unemployment, Spanish farmers from the Andalusian region hope to get more government aid. And they have one local politician on their side.聽
Pussy Riot punk band verdict caps rocky first hundred days for PutinSince it began on May 7, Putin's third term in the Kremlin has appeared mostly defensive and downbeat.
Airstrikes kills over 40 in northern Syria, watchdog group saysAccording to Human Rights Watch, the attacks destroyed a whole residential block in the town of Azaz. Free Syrian Army facilities might have been the target of the Syrian air force.- Seven American, 4 NATO troops die in Afghan helicopter crashNATO said it is investigating the cause of the聽crash聽in Kandahar province, a region that is a traditional Taliban stronghold.
Insurgent attacks in Iraq result in over 20 deathsA wave of bombings in northern and central Iraq also wounded dozens. Over 100 people have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the month.
Japan considers deporting arrested Chinese activistsAfter the protesters were held by Japanese authorities for landing on a disputed island, Japan has the option of repatriating the Chinese protesters or sending them to criminal court. The case has been rough on the bilateral relations between the countries.
