Up to 93 people killed in Syria clashes:
The Public Authority of the Syrian Revolution said on Saturday the number of civilians killed in clashes between the opposition Free Syria Army and government forces reached 93 people, most of them in Homs and Aleppo.
41 Palestinians dead from hunger, medical shortages in Syria camp: NGO:
A Syrian monitoring group said Friday it has documented the deaths of 41 Palestinian refugees in besieged Yarmuk camp as a result of food and medical shortages, including women and children.
Rebels clash in north Syria, bodies pile up in hospital - monitors:
A week of infighting between the al Qaeda-linked group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and other groups including another al Qaeda-affiliated faction has killed hundreds of fighters opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.
West may not be winner in Syria battle of 'good al Qaida' vs. 'bad al Qaida':
Only on the complex and bloody battlefields of Syria could there emerge a schism that would seem absurd elsewhere: "good" al Qaida vs. "bad" al Qaida.
60 killed in ongoing clashes in Iraq's Anbar province:
At least 60 people were killed and some 297 others wounded in clashes between the security forces and militant groups over the past two weeks, as the battles continued on Saturday, a local official and a police source said.
Fallujah operation put on hold, residents return:
Most businesses reopened in Fallujah and government security operations in nearby areas were put on hold after heavy overnight rain restricted the use of aircraft and heavy vehicles, a day after police and tribesmen retook militant-held areas in the nearby Anbar provincial capital Ramadi.
Yemen: Another Colonel killed In Aden:
A senior security officer was shot dead, while two others were wounded in two separate attacks in the southern port city of Aden on Tuesday, a local security source told the Yemen Observer.
Ariel Sharon remembered as a blood thirsty war criminal:
Sharon was commonly dubbed the "Butcher of Beirut" for his association with some of the worst atrocities during Lebanon's 1975-1990 Civil War.
'No tears will be shed for Ariel Sharon' in Lebanon: Video -
Jim Muir reports on the reaction in the Sabra and Shatila camps to Sharon's death.
Ariel Sharon death: tributes from around the world:
"On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the family of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and to the people of Israel on the loss of a leader who dedicated his life to the state of Israel ... We join with the Israeli people in honouring his commitment to his country." - Barack Obama
Number of Jewish lawmakers worldwide reaches record high:
The United States is still only in third place worldwide for the number of Jewish legislators, after Israel and Britain.
Iran: Initial deal on implementing nuclear deal:
Iran's nuclear envoy in Geneva says an initial agreement has been reached on implementing a nuclear deal with six world powers and that it's been sent to capitals for approval.
US nuclear bill would have consequences, Iran's nuclear chief says: -
Iran will have no choice but to step up its uranium enrichment if a bill now moving through parliament is approved, even though it has no current need for such highly-enriched uranium, its nuclear chief said on Saturday.
South Libya clashes kill 19: local official:
The Toubous are black oasis farmers by tradition who also live in southern Libya, northern Chad and Niger. They have complained in the past of attempted ethnic cleansing against their community by Arab tribesmen.
3 killed in rally before vote in Egypt:
Hundreds of Islamists rallied in Egypt's capital and across the country Friday, calling for a boycott of an upcoming constitutional referendum as clashes with security forces killed three people, officials said.
Egypt's General Sisi signals may run for president:
Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi gave his clearest signal yet on Saturday of his interest in becoming president, a move that could turn the clock back to the days when the presidency was controlled by men from the military.
Boots on the ground:
US has deployed military advisers to Somalia, officials say:
The US military secretly deployed a small number of trainers and advisers to Somalia in October.
3 Insurgents Killed, 2 Injured in Afghan Forces Raids:
Three insurgents were killed and two were injured during a series of coordinated operations over the past 24 hours carried out by the Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan National Police (ANP) and National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghan Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday.
Karzai condemns US shooting of Afghan child:
"We have been calling for the complete end of military operations in residential areas. This demand has not been taken seriously by foreign troops and the result is civilian casualties including women and children."
Gareth Porter: Gates Conceals Real Story of "Gaming" Obama on Afghan War: Analysis:
"As I sat there," Gates recalls, "I thought: the president doesn't trust his commander, can't stand [Afghanistan President Hamid] Karzai, doesn't believe in his own strategy, and doesn't consider the war to be his. For him, it's all about getting out."
NSA makes final push to retain most mass surveillance powers:
The National Security Agency and its allies are making a final public push to retain as much of their controversial mass surveillance powers as they can, before President Barack Obama's forthcoming announcement about the future scope of US surveillance.
Google's robots and creeping militarization:
Google CEO Larry Page has rapidly positioned Google to become an indispensable U.S. military contractor.
Chomsky on Anarchy & Anarcho-Syndicalism: Video -
What it is, how it arises, and how it can be applied by people that want to affect positive change in the world.
Guantanamo Anniversary: 12 Years Of A Continuing War Crime : Video -
It's heartbreaking for the hundreds who've had to go through that--kidnapped, torture, detention center. And it's heartbreaking for what's happened to any concept of justice in this country.
Statement issued by Shaker Aamer on the occasion of the 12th Anniversary of Guant�namo Bay :
The US military wants to repress the truth about Guant�namo, but the truth will always come out. Others suffer even more than I do.
Cuba: US 'very open' to new relationship:
"Despite our historically difficult relationship...we have been able to speak to each other in a respectful and thoughtful manner," he told a news conference in Havana.
Ecuadoran Parliament Begins Procedure to Resign from Rio Treaty :
The diplomat stated that in recent years the document has been used to justify interventionism and the use of force against Latin American countries and governments with nationalist, socialist, or populist tendencies.
The revolution that rocked Mexico: Video -
Led by the charismatic pipe-smoking Subcomandante Marcos, the Zapatista National Liberation Army demanded rights and recognition for its people.
UK schools fingerprinted over 800K children, third without parental consent - watchdog:
Civil liberties group, Big Brother Watch, filed Freedom of Information Requests to over 3,000 schools across the UK and found that 40 percent of schools are using biometrical technology on pupils. Only 1,255 schools responded.
Ireland's Rebound Is European Blarney:
Ireland's success story feels less like "The Shawshank Redemption" and more like "Rocky." We haven't been joyously liberated; we've just withstood a lot of blows. We're still standing, but we've taken so many punches that it's hard to see straight.
China surpasses US as world's largest trading nation:
China became the world's largest trading nation in 2013, overtaking the US in what Beijing described as "a landmark milestone" for the country.
US declares emergency after chemical spill:
Up to 300,000 people in West Virginia have been told not to drink tap water after the spill of a dangerous chemical sparked a federal emergency.
