HUMAN RIGHTS

In an interesting turn of events, will the entry of al-Qaeda comically twist the balance as it will be naturally pitted against the Hezbollah, the feared Shia militia actively supported and patronized by Iran? Assad's promise of a regional conflict could come true then!

The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly ratcheted up the pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday by overwhelmingly approving a resolution that endorses an Arab League plan calling for him to step aside.

Xi Jinping, Vice President of the People's Republic of China, will be courtside as the Lakers play the Suns at the Los Angeles Staples Center on Friday. But this self-proclaimed fan of American basketball has little to say about international phenomenon Jeremy Lin.

The fashion world is mourning the death of 95-year-old Zelda Kaplan, an adored socialite, fashion icon and humanitarian, who passed away after fainting in her front-row seat at New York Fashion Week.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is eager to show the world that he has what it takes to lead the world's second-largest economy once he's elected as President. Jinping's official visit to Washington on Tuesday has catapulted him into the international spotlight, thus providing the first glimpse of the man most likely to be China's next leader.

Using spyware technology that can intercept telephone text messages, Syrian government has resorted to applying blocks on text messages which contain politically sensitive terms such as revolution, or demonstration.

Sens. Dick Durbin and Tom Coburn sent a letter to Twitter's CEO on Wednesday asking the company about the details of a new privacy policy that allows governments to censor certain tweets.

Xi Jinping defended China's human rights record during his meeting with President Barack Obama on Wednesday. The Chinese Vice President admitted that his country could do more in the area, but added that the United States should respect China's human rights developments.

The Sri Lankan military has long maintained that it killed no Tamil civilians during the civil war that pitted the Tamil Tiger rebels against the majority Sinhalese government.

Syrian government forces launched an offensive on the city of Hama early on Wednesday, firing on residential neighborhoods from armored vehicles and mobile anti-aircraft guns, opposition activists said.

In an interesting development, prominent gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has signed a letter criticizing Israel -- celebrated for its gay-friendliness -- for 'Pinkwashing' or trying to project an image of a progressive state in its policies towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

The Mormon church apologized on Tuesday for the posthumous baptism by its members of the parents of famed Nazi hunter and Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal.

Jinping Xi, slated to become China's next leader by 2013, touched down at Andrews Air Force base this morning to begin a busy five-day visit which included meetings with President Obama and other top administration officials at the White House.

Kim Jong-un has reportedly vowed to take vengeance on defectors by killing three generations of their families.

On the one-year anniversary of the tiny Gulf nation's uprising, Bahrainis try to return to Pearl Square, the symbol of the revolution, while the government tries to stop them

Hacker collective Anonymous has taken down a number of Web sites on Tuesday, including that of the Bahrain government and the U.S. maker of teargas used on protesters in Bahrain last month.

The U.N. human rights chief accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Monday of launching an indiscriminate attack on civilians, emboldened by the failure of the Security Council to condemn him.

The UN General Assembly is convening an emergency meeting in New York on Monday.

Syria said it has categorically rejected a new resolution from the Arab League which calls for the formation of a joint Arab-United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country to help bring an end to the bloodshed that has lasted almost one year.

Qatar is perhaps the wealthiest nation on earth.

China is half a world away from the 2,300-acre family farm in east-central Iowa where John Weber and his son plant corn and soybeans.