Iran's Zarif to visit Syria ahead of peace talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is due to travel to Tehran ally Damascus in the next few days, media reported Sunday, amid preparations for a Syria peace conference.
Russia blocks new UN Syria statement
Russia on Wednesday blocked a British-drafted UN Security Council statement condemning the Syrian government attacks on the city of Aleppo, diplomats said.
Deadlocked Bangladesh swears in contested parliament
Bangladesh's newly elected lawmakers took the parliamentary oath on Thursday after an election condemned as a farce by critics, with the country's battling political leaders still locked in a deadly confrontation
First chemical arms material shipped out of Syria
The first shipment of chemical weapons materials left Latakia port Tuesday under a deal to rid Syria of its chemical arsenal.
S.Sudan government says poised to retake key town
South Sudan's government said it was poised to recapture a key town from rebel forces, as peace talks being held in neighbouring Ethiopia appeared to be making slow progress.
South Sudan warring parties set for direct peace talks
South Sudan's warring parties were set to begin direct talks Saturday in a bid to end the conflict pushing the world's youngest nation towards civil war as fighting intensified for control of a key oil town.
Cambodian police disperse opposition rally
Cambodian authorities Saturday dispersed opposition protesters from their rally base in the capital and halted further protests against the kingdom's strongman premier, a day after police launched a deadly crackdown on striking garment workers.
Thatcher's hairdo was high-maintenance
Margaret Thatcher's immaculate hairdo took intensive efforts to perfect, with the late British prime minister having her bouffant reworked every three days on average, records showed Friday.
Children beheaded in C.Africa fighting: UNICEF
At least two children have been beheaded in the fighting which has gripped the Central African Republic, the UN agency for children said Monday, adding "unprecedented" levels of violence were being committed against youngsters.
Russia buries dead as bombings toll hits 33
Russia beefed up security and mourned its dead on Tuesday as the toll from jarring successive-day suicide strikes in the run-up to the Sochi Winter Olympic Games rose to 33.
Putin to keep within the law in terror hunt: UN
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Monday to stay within international law in the hunt for the perpetrators of two bomb attacks in the city of Volgograd, the United Nations said.
South Sudan rebels threaten key town: army
Rebels in violence-wracked South Sudan sought to take back control Monday of a key town they were forced from last week, the army said, vowing to defeat the militia.
UN rights body urges Uganda leader to shun anti-gay bill
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday called on Uganda's president not to sign a harsh anti-gay draft law that sailed through parliament last week.
UN reinforcements start arriving in S.Sudan
The first UN peacekeeping reinforcements arrived Friday in South Sudan, where the government is said to have agreed an immediate ceasefire after nearly two weeks of heavy fighting with rebels.
Iran exiles say camp struck by rockets near Baghdad airport
Rockets struck near Baghdad airport on Thursday in what an exiled Iran opposition group said was an attack on their camp that left three dead and around 50 wounded.
Red Cross recovers dozens of bodies in C. Africa capital
The Red Cross said Thursday it had recovered some 40 bodies on the streets of Bangui as the United States expressed alarm at the latest eruption of fighting in the Central African Republic.
UN urges Thailand to drop charges against website
The United Nations has urged Thailand to drop defamation charges against two Australian and Thai journalists for a report alleging military involvement in people smuggling, warning of a "chilling effect" on press freedom.
Oil prices up on escalating South Sudan violence
Crude edged higher in Asian trade Thursday on supply concerns following escalating violence in oil-producer South Sudan, but gains were capped as dealers sat on the sidelines awaiting fresh leads after the festive season.
'Thousands' killed as South Sudan slides towards civil war
Thousands of South Sudanese have been killed in over a week of violence with reports of bodies piled in mass graves, the UN said Tuesday, as the Security Council agreed to nearly double its peacekeepers in the young nation threatening to slide into civil war.
Dubai police in record $31 mn drugs haul
Dubai police have made a record drug seizure of some 4.6 million Captagon pills, an amphetamine-like stimulant, worth more than $31 million (23 million euros), the local press reported Monday.