Syria Bolsters Troops in Battle for Aleppo

Activists say thousands of troops have been sent to Syria's second city, Aleppo, as clashes were reported in the city for the sixth consecutive day.

Syria Blast Strikes at Heart of Assad’s Rule

Syria's defence minister and interior minister are among those who were killed after a suicide bomber struck the National Security building in Damascus during a meeting of cabinet ministers and senior security officials, state media reported.

Russia Says West Using “Blackmail” over Syria

Russia has said it would block moves at the U.N. Security Council to extend a U.N. monitoring mission in Syria if Western powers did not stop resorting to "blackmail" by threatening sanctions against Damascus.

IOC in Talks with Saudi Arabia over Male-Only Team

The International Olympic Committee has said it is in talks with Saudi Arabia, after Human Rights Watch called for Riyadh to be barred from participating in the London Olympic Games.

Tests Point to Possible Arafat Poisoning

It was a scene that riveted the world for weeks: The ailing Yasser Arafat, first besieged by Israeli tanks in his Ramallah compound, then shuttled to Paris, where he spent his final days undergoing a barrage of medical tests in a French military hospital.

Kosovo to Gain Full Sovereignty

Kosovo will finally gain full soverignty in September, almost four years after breaking away from Serbia, the International Steering Group (ISG) overseeing its independence has announced.

Karadzic Acquitted on One Genocide Charge

The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal has acquitted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of one of the two genocide charges he faces at the halfway stage of his long-running trial.

Annan: ‘Bold Steps’ Needed for Syria Peace

Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, has called on the country's government to take bold steps to prove its commitment to restoring peace during a visit to Damascus.

EU Summit Ends with Warning for Greece

A European Union summit has ended with a warning to Greece that it will have to stick to its bailout terms if it wants to stay in the eurozone, but failed to resolve Franco-German differences over the issue of eurobonds.

IAEA Reports Progress in Iran Nuclear Talks

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has said he expects to sign a deal with Iran soon on investigating suspected weapons activities connected to the country's nuclear programme.

Al-Qaeda Claims Deadly Yemen Suicide Blast

Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the centre of the Yemeni capital that has left nearly 100 people dead.

Ratko Mladic Goes on Trial for Genocide

The trial of General Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army chief accused of orchestrating war crimes and a campaign of genocide, has begun at a special U.N. court at The Hague in the Netherlands.

WikiLeaks Blames Guardian Newspaper for Leaks

WikiLeaks, the whistleblowing website, has said that its massive archive of unredacted U.S. State Department cables was exposed in a security breach, which it blamed on its one-time partner - Britain's Guardian newspaper.

Republicans Sweep U.S. House

Opposition Republicans have scored major victories in the country's midterm elections by taking control over the House of Representatives from the Democrats and scoring impressive gains in the Senate, which delivered a stinging blow to Barack Obama's presidency.

POLITICS: Arab-Latin American Ties Hailed

Latin American leaders have underscored the importance of economic and political ties with the Arab world in a summit meeting with their Arab counterparts in Qatar. Tuesday's meeting, the second Arab-Latin American summit, in Doha, the Qatari capital, followed the conclusion of the Arab League conference in the city.

PAKISTAN: Under Siege by Taliban

Authorities in Pakistan have vowed to deal sternly with Taliban militants who have this month mounted a series of deadly attacks apparently aimed at weakening this country that has close links with neighbouring Afghanistan.