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.
Thai police battle protesters trying to stop election
Thai police fired tear gas and rubber bullets Thursday as clashes broke out with protesters trying to prevent political parties registering for elections, leaving dozens wounded and forcing officials to flee by helicopter.
Christians increasingly under threat: Catholic observers
Thousands of Christians are killed every year because of their faith and the persecution is becoming more widespread.
'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.
Rockets explode in Kabul as foreigners mark Christmas
Two rockets exploded in Kabul on Wednesday morning, causing no reported casualties but underlining Afghanistan's continuing security problems as many foreigners in the capital marked Christmas Day.
Morocco Islamists under fire over women abuse bill
A long-awaited law to combat violence against women is currently under study in Morocco, but the Islamist-led government has had to revise its proposals after sharp criticism from rights groups.
Kerry warns of 'increasingly sectarian' Central Africa
US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed a lack of confidence Wednesday in the Central African government to contain an "increasingly sectarian" crisis, and pledged aid to a peacekeeping force.
Japan gov't report finds serious abuse of disabled
The abuse of disabled people has emerged as a major problem in Japan with the violence most often inflicted by family members or domestic carers, according to a government survey.
UN inquiry chief left in tears by N. Korea brutality
The head of a UN inquiry into North Korea rights abuses told Tuesday how he had been reduced to tears by witness accounts of people who fled the hardline state.
Facebook pulls beheading video amid furor
Facebook yanked a beheading video from the social network late Tuesday following outrage over its lifting of a ban on the gory imagery.
Kazakhstan official suggests arrests for domestic violence
Domestic oppressor who is fined often dodges paying it and it is often the case when his wife who was attacked by him pays the fine instead: Gulshara Abdykalikova.
Up to 23 dead in Xinjiang clash: reports
A Chinese policeman was killed in an "anti-terrorism" operation in the restive region of Xinjiang.
Syria: What are the West's military options?
Following reports of a large-scale chemical weapons strike, pressure is mounting on the United States and its Western allies to act to halt the violence in Syria.
36 Islamists killed in attempted Egypt jailbreak
Thirty-six Islamist prisoners were killed Sunday during an attempted jailbreak, bringing to almost 800 the toll in five days of violence since Egypt moved to crush supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
Spoon in underwear saving British youths from South Asia forced marriage
Campaigning group says the trick of putting a spoon in their underwear has saved some youngsters from a forced union in their South Asian ancestral homelands.
Qaeda claims deadly attacks as Iraqis blame government
An Al-Qaeda front group on Sunday claimed a wave of attacks that killed dozens of people during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, as Iraqis angrily blamed authorities for failing to prevent the violence.
US senators condemn political violence in Venezuela
Seven US senators from both parties introduced a bill condemning violence against the opposition in Venezuela, calling for dialogue after a contested election.
Children paying high price of DR Congo fighting: UN
The United Nations warned Friday it had "worrying" evidence that a growing number of children are being killed or injured in the renewed fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Syria death toll tops 100,000: UN
More than 100,000 people have now been killed in the Syrian civil war, UN leader Ban Ki-moon said Thursday, as he appealed for new efforts to convene a peace conference.
Solomons peacekeeping force pulls back after 10 years
The largest military operation in the Pacific since World War II wound up in the Solomon Islands on Wednesday after a decade working to end deep-seated ethnic violence in the poverty-stricken nation.