Russian FM in Syria amid escalating violence

Syrian forces renewed their assault on the flashpoint city of Homs on Tuesday as Russia's foreign minister held talks in Damascus with President Bashar Assad about the country's escalating violence.

Italy frees former Guantánamo detainee

An Italian appeals court has overturned the terrorism conviction of a Tunisian man who had spent nearly eight years in the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo, Cuba.

Obama-backed Syria resolution rebuffed

President Barack Obama's call on Saturday for the U.N. Security Council to stand up against the Syrian regime's "relentless brutality" was rebuffed by Russia and China when both vetoed a resolution calling for President Bashar Assad to leave power.

GUANTANAMO

Pentagon won’t slow 9/11 death penalty filings

A senior Pentagon official told defense lawyers to write him by Monday on why the Sept. 11 mass murder file should not go forward as a death-penalty case.

GOP: Taliban transfer plan sends ‘horrible message’

The Obama administration would cross a “dangerous line” and send a “horrible message” with a plan to encourage peace talks with the Afghan Taliban by transferring five prisoners from U.S. military detention, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Thursday.

Taliban deny they are ready for Afghan peace talks

The Taliban have dismissed reports they are preparing to talk peace with the Afghan government, and a leaked NATO report has shown captured insurgents full of confidence they will seize power after international troops leave.

CUBA

Cuba food prices up 20% in 2011

Government report shows agricultural reforms not increasing production or dropping prices.

GUANTANAMO

Alleged bomber's lawyer wants to question Yemeni leader

The motion to depose Ali Abdullah Saleh was under seal at the Pentagon Tuesday; the Yemeni president is in the United States recovering from burns suffered in an ‘Arab Spring’ explosion at his presidential compound in Sana’a.

Iran-Latin America

Iran’s HispanTV aims to woo Latino viewers

Interested in Persian cooking or the U.S. plot against Syria? Iran wants viewers to tune into its new Spanish-language satellite TV station.

Algerian reimprisoned after Guantánamo extradition

A legal charity supporting detainees in Guantánamo has condemned the conviction and sentencing of an Algerian after he was forcibly repatriated after eight years in the U.S. Guantánamo detention center.

CAMPAIGN 2012

Gingrich daughter runs campaign from Key Biscayne

Newt Gingrich’s older daughter, Kathy G. Lubbers, has become an indispensable political advisor.

Navy SEALs rescue 2 held captive in Somalia

American commandos dropped into Somalia on Tuesday night to rescue two aid workers who were held hostage, including an American, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.

Strongest solar storm since 2005 hitting Earth; could damage satellites, garble GPS systems

WASHINGTON — The sun is bombarding Earth with radiation from the biggest solar storm in more than six years with more to come from the fast-moving eruption.

UN rights chief says U.S. must close Guantánamo

The U.N. human rights chief says the U.S. government must close the Guantánamo Bay prison as President Barack Obama promised a year ago.

UN asked to examine US efforts to squelch Spain torture probe

Two legal rights groups on Thursday asked the United Nations to investigate allegations that Spanish and U.S. officials collaborated to quash criminal probes into whether the Bush administration authorized illegal killings and torture of terrorism suspects.

Guantanamo

Al Qaida magazine found at Guantánamo prison

The disclosure that a copy of an al-Qaida magazine made it inside Guantánamo raises questions about prison camp’s security.

AIR TRAVEL

British Airways apologizes for mistakenly telling passengers to brace for crash

Panic erupted aboard a British Airways flight when a prerecorded announcement warned of an emergency landing in water.

Costa Concordia disaster: Tweets from around the world

Three bodies were recovered and 69 people are missing after the Costa Concordia ran aground off of Italy late Friday. Read more

Murder rates around the world

Interactive map of world murder rates by country

HAITI: TWO YEARS LATER

Haiti, South Florida remember quake victims on anniversary

In Haiti and South Florida, victims of Haiti’s 7.0-earthquake were remembered Thursday with reflections and prays.