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Syrian forces attack Homs on eve of Lavrov visit
(Reuters)
Reuters - A Syrian military assault on Homs killed dozens of people on the eve of a visit to Damascus by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov aimed at pressing President Bashar al-Assad to end an 11-month uprising by implementing swift reform.
U.N. nuclear talks in Tehran: frustrated hopes
(Reuters)
Reuters - After two days of rare and intensive talks in Tehran, senior U.N. nuclear officials may have felt they were finally making headway towards getting Iran to address suspicions that it is bent on developing the ability to make atom bombs.
Palestinian rivals agree to form unity government
(Reuters)
Reuters - The leaders of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed a deal in Qatar on Monday to form a unity government of independent technocrats for the West Bank and Gaza, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Gunmen kill five in Libyan refugee camp: hospital staff
(Reuters)
Reuters - Gunmen killed five Libyan refugees at their camp in a Tripoli suburb Monday, residents and hospital sources said, underscoring the volatility in the country months after Muammar Gaddafi's overthrow.
Egyptians cancel meetings with U.S. lawmakers after aid warnings
(Reuters)
Reuters - An Egyptian military delegation abruptly cancelled its meetings with U.S. lawmakers to return to Cairo on Monday after warnings from both Congress and the White House that Egypt's crackdown on non-governmental groups could threaten its $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid.
Syria at War: Free Syrian Army Fighting Assad Loyalists
(Time.com)
Time.com - As the Free Syrian Army is establishing an identity in the conflict, another organization announces its presence in the opposition pantheon
Romania's government collapses after protests
(AP)
AP - Romania's government has collapsed following weeks of protests against austerity measures, the latest debt-stricken government in Europe to fall in the face of raising public anger over biting cuts.
Palestinians take step toward unity
(AP)
AP - After months of wavering, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took a decisive step Monday toward reconciliation with the Islamic militant group Hamas, a move Israel promptly warned would close the door to any future peace talks.
DEA agents in Puerto Rico claim discrimination
(AP)
AP - Ten Puerto Rican agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration have filed suit against their employer, claiming they receive less pay and more dangerous assignments than agents hired in the U.S. and sent to the island.
China: Body of missing worker recovered in Sudan
(AP)
AP - State media say the body of a Chinese worker who went missing during a rebel attack on a work site in Sudan has been found and that 29 others abducted in the assault would be freed soon.
China VP seeks reunion with Iowans he met in 1985
(AP)
AP - As China's future president makes plans for a trip to the United States next week, he has made sure that there's time between stops in Washington and California to visit Iowa.
Quick end to lockout at Rio's Quebec smelter unlikely
(Reuters)
Reuters - Rio Tinto's lockout of workers at its Alcan division's big Alma aluminum smelter in northern Quebec looks set to drag on, and the company said on Monday that no talks were scheduled.
Correction: Australia helicopter deaths story
(AP)
AP - In a story Feb. 5 about the deaths of two filmmakers in an Australian helicopter crash, The Associated Press reported erroneously the location of the crash. Nowra is 97 miles (156 kilometers) south of Sydney, not north.
Senegalese opposition denounce president's bid for third term
(The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - The eight candidates came in convoys from their respective corners of Dakar to Obelisk Square in the heart of the Senegalese capital, where crowds of color-coordinated supporters awaited them while listening to political hip-hop anthems in Wolof - the local dialect. A single microphone stood on stage and each of them were introduced as "president" before they took it.
The Mainstreaming of Hamas Continues as Palestinian Unity Gains Steam
(Time.com)
Time.com - Hamas vows to give Palestinian moderate leader Mahmoud Abbas the running room to see what talks can produce
South Africa's cautious UN vote for Syrian action
(The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - Russia and China’s joint veto of a United Nations resolution urging Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to step down has kicked up a firestorm of criticism from the West and from human rights activists.
