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EU slaps sanctions on Assad’s wife

The European Union slapped sanctions on the wife and mother of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on Friday, increasing pressure on his government to halt a bloody crackdown against an armed uprising. Full story

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Afghan relatives demand local trial for US shooter

Relatives of Afghans killed in a shooting massacre demanded Friday a public trial in Afghanistan for a US soldier expected to be formally charged with 17 counts of murder. Full story

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Save Ganga activist, GD Agarwal ends fast

Environmentalist GD Agarwal, 80, who is on a fast-unto-death since Jan 15 to save the Ganga river, Friday agreed to end his fast after the government agreed to his demands, his supporters said, the Hindustan Times reports. Full story

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Suicide attack ‘kills five’ at Pakistan mosque

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mosque on Friday, killing five people in Pakistan’s Taliban and al-Qaeda infested tribal badlands on the Afghan border, officials said. Full story

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Tunisia’s secular opposition unites against Islamists

Five months after polls swept an Islamist-led coalition to power in post-revolution Tunisia, the country’s kaleidoscopic opposition is striving to unite and fight for a secular state. The myriad opposition parties in Tunisia’s constituent assembly... Full story

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French cops renew detention of killer’s family

French police on Friday prolonged the detention of the mother and brother of the self-proclaimed Islamic extremist who killed seven people before being shot dead, a legal source said. Full story

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Tonga readies for king’s state funeral

The Pacific island of Tonga was Friday preparing to bid farewell its late King George Tupou V, rehearsing the funeral procession and declaring two public holidays to coincide with the mourning. Full story

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China urges restraint ahead of N Korea rocket launch

China on Friday urged restraint ahead of the launch of a North Korean rocket, after Tokyo said it was readying its missile defence systems to shoot it down if it posed any threat to Japan. Full story

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New German president calls for more European solidarity

Germany on Friday swore in new president Joachim Gauck, who warned the government that it had a historical obligation to help Europe’s weakest members as they struggle to stay afloat. Full story

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UN pressing for access to Myanmar displaced: Amos

The United Nations is pressing for access to tens of thousands of people displaced by ethnic conflict in Myanmar, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said Friday. Amos said around 55,000 people had been uprooted since clashes... Full story

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Australian rescued after three-day croc ordeal

An Australian man has been rescued after a three-day ordeal trapped at a remote flooded fishing hut where he was stalked by four-metre crocodiles, a report said Friday. Terry Donovan, 65, was at the Staaten River... Full story

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Hillary to open way to resume aid to Egypt

The US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will open the way Friday to resuming $1.3 billion in annual military aid to Egypt despite fears it is slipping in its avowed transition to democracy. Hillary notified Congress of her plans in... Full story

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Myanmar postpones voting in conflict-hit north

Myanmar has postponed voting in its conflict-hit far north in closely watched by-elections to be held next month, official media reported Friday. ‘Because of security reasons there are no... Full story

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Australian police smash child porn ring

The Australian police have smashed a child porn ring and arrested 14 men, including fathers, after hundreds of thousands of images and videos were seized, some depicting toddlers, they said Friday. Full story

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Supreme Court to reignite US health care debate

History may judge Barack Obama’s health care plan either as the anchor of a legacy of reform, or an emblem of a presidency born in high ambition but dragged down by political reality. Full story

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