BEIRUT — The Arab League announced Wednesday that Syria had agreed to the terms of a peace plan aimed at ending more than seven months of bloodshed and opening dialogue with government opponents on ways to move the country toward democracy. But on a day when at least 34 people were reported killed in the central provinces of Homs and Hama, some of them in apparently retaliatory acts of vengeance by members of rival sects, it was unclear whether the deal would succeed in halting the rapidly escalating violence. Read full article > >

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Arab League announces peace plan for Syria

As many as 30 people are reported killed after a tornado tore through the city of Joplin in the US state of Missouri.

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VIDEO: Deadly tornado hits US state

As many as 30 people are reported killed after a tornado tore through the city of Joplin in the US state of Missouri, officials say.

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Deadly tornado tears into US city

BEIRUT — Syrian troops opened fire on protesters demonstrating after prayers on Friday, killing at least 23, as President Bashar al-Assad’s government shrugged off mounting U.S. pressure to ease its military crackdown and implement reforms. The shootings came a day after President Obama delivered his first warning to Assad that he should begin putting reforms in place or “get out of the way.” At least 23 people were reported killed in several different locations, activists said, but with the protests continuing, the toll could rise. Troops opened fire on demonstrations in the protest flash points of Homs, Hama, Baniyas and Damascus, as tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets in towns across the country. Read full article > >

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Syrian troops fire on protesters; at least 23 dead

NATO says it successfully fended off an attack from Taliban fighters on a coalition base in Paktika province, near the Pakistan border. At least 30 Taliban fighters were reported killed, with five coalition soldiers wounded in the exchange. Militants…

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NATO Repels Attack on Afghan Base

Six people are reported killed in Mozambique’s capital Maputo in riots over rising food and fuel prices.

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Deadly Maputo clash over prices