Mexico murders almost triple since 2005 The murder rate in drug-violent Mexico has almost tripled since 2005, government figures showed Monday, though officials did not specify how many homicides were linked to the country's war on drugs.
22 August 2012
Syria pounds rebel bastions as UN names new envoy Syrian forces launched new air strikes and shelled rebel strongholds in several key cities on Saturday, a watchdog said, after the UN named a new envoy to try to end the conflict.
19 August 2012
World Muslim body to suspend Syria An emergency summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) began late Tuesday with a proposal to suspend conflict-wracked Syria, a move strongly opposed by Iran.
16 August 2012
US says Iran forming pro-regime militia in Syria The US on Tuesday accused Iran of setting up a pro-regime militia in Syria as Washington increasingly ties the crisis there to interference by its long-time foe Tehran.
15 August 2012
Aleppo battle rages as both sides report atrocities The Syrian army pressed its assault on rebels in commercial capital Aleppo on Sunday, while both sides reported atrocities and Arab foreign ministers postponed a planned meeting on the 17-month conflict.
Reliant on Ethiopia, Somali officials struggle to fill void Standing in front of the rag-covered tent that has been her family's home for 18 months, grandmother Halbo Maow says that while the men with the guns might have changed, life still remains tough.
08 August 2012
Egypt army promises to avenge Sinai attack The Egyptian army on Monday promised to "avenge" the deaths of 16 border guards in an assault the previous day on a post near the border with Israel, in a statement issued by state news agency MENA.
07 August 2012
Blame game after Annan quits as Syria envoy World powers traded blame on Friday after Kofi Annan quit as international peace envoy to Syria, complaining that his initiative to end the bloodshed there never received the support it deserved.
Oil strikes two-year high; soya scores record high Oil prices hit two-month highs this week, driven by Federal Reserve stimulus hopes and Middle East unrest, while soyabeans soared to a record high as US supplies were hit by drought.
22 July 2012
Unrecognised Karabakh votes as tensions rise The self-declared state of Nagorny-Karabakh, recognised by no country in the world, votes in leadership elections as fears grow of a new conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over its status.
19 July 2012
Annan, Ban call on UN Council to act on Syria UN chief Ban Ki-moon and international envoy Kofi Annan called on the UN Security Council to take strong action on the Syria conflict ahead of a vote Thursday on a western-backed resolution calling for sanctions.
19 July 2012
Armenia-Azerbaijan time bomb ticks down in Karabakh Only the wind is heard rustling the wheat fields at the Karabakh frontline, but the silence is deceptive -- the soldiers lined along the Mardakert Heights know that shooting can start at any time.
Experts forecast tensions in Central Asia in 2012Possibility of further increase in conflicts and tensions in 2012 remains high in three Central Asian states: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
