Obama not ready to order Syria strike but gives up on UN
President Barack Obama said Wednesday he had not yet signed off on a plan to strike Syria, but action appeared likely after Washington abandoned the hunt for a last-minute UN mandate.
Chinese media say 'no excuse' for West to strike Syria
Chinese state media warned the West against strikes on Syria Thursday as momentum mounted for President Bashar al-Assad's regime to be punished over an alleged chemical weapons attack.
Pentagon chief touts US focus on Asia as Syria looms
Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel meets his Asian counterparts on Wednesday as the United States promotes its shift to the region but a potential showdown with Syria looms over the talks.
28 August 2013
UN rights panel urges N. Korea to grant access
The head of a UN inquiry into human rights in North Korea appealed on Tuesday for access to the country, even as Pyongyang condemned his commission's work as slanderous and provocative.
28 August 2013
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Venezuela nabs hitmen in alleged plot to kill Maduro
Venezuela said Monday it derailed a plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro, arresting two hitmen it said wanted to execute the leftist leader on orders from a Colombian ex-president.
27 August 2013
Brazil's top diplomat resigns over row with Bolivia
Brazil's foreign minister resigned Monday over soaring tensions with La Paz after Brazilian diplomats spirited away a Bolivian opposition senator wanted for corruption.
Karzai visits Pakistan, looking for Taliban peace
Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew into Islamabad on Monday for key talks with Pakistan's newly elected government, searching for communication with Taliban insurgents to end 12 years of war.
27 August 2013
Bo claims to wear 50-year-old underwear at trial
Fallen Chinese politician Bo Xilai attempted to counter accounts of his family's luxury lifestyle Monday by telling his corruption trial his underwear was five decades old.
Moscow warns US against Syria military action
Military action against the Syrian regime would be a "tragic mistake", Russia said Sunday, warning the West not to preempt the results of a UN probe into alleged deadly chemical attacks.
26 August 2013
Russian opposition leader Navalny briefly detained
Russian police on Sunday briefly detained top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after a campaign rally for the Moscow mayoral election he is contesting next month.
26 August 2013
Zimbabwe threatens West with 'tit-for-tat' action on sanctions
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Sunday threatened "tit-for-tat" actions against Western countries that have imposed sanctions on his rule, suggesting US and British firms could be targeted.