tag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Obama_face_Syria_scrutiny_Jordan_c217

A day after challenging Israelis to embrace peace with Palestinians, US President Barack Obama Friday will face scrutiny over his strategy on Syria during an overnight stay in Jordan.

2013-03-22T09:19:08ZAFP Global Editionby Stephen Collinsontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Palestinians_invoke_civil_rights_Obama_7c9c

Palestinians sour at Barack Obama's perceived failure to honour their historical struggle have invoked the US civil rights movement and South Africa's apartheid in a bid to win his sympathy.

2013-03-22T08:49:09ZAFP Global Editionby Selim Saheb Ettabatag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/seeks_toilet_taboo_7cef

The United Nations launched a campaign Friday to lift a deadly taboo on talking about toilets and to turn the world into an "open defecation-free zone."

2013-03-22T08:45:22ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Lanka_state_media_slams_panel_5f1a

Sri Lankan state media called Friday for the dismantling of the UN human rights chief's office after Colombo was angered by a resolution calling for a probe into alleged war crimes in the island.

2013-03-22T07:23:01ZAFP South Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Putin_welcomes_Chinas_landmark_talks_b20d

Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's new leader Xi Jinping are to hold landmark talks Friday in the hope of further cementing the two countries' partnership with a range of strategic agreements.

2013-03-22T06:13:40ZAFP Global Editionby Anna Smolchenkotag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/officials_China_cooperative_NKorea_sanctions_8ec1

US officials involved in enforcing international sanctions against North Korea expressed optimism on Friday that China was willing to cooperate to disrupt financing for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

2013-03-22T06:06:53ZAFP American EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Murder_trial_Italian_marines_back_121f

Two Italian marines flew back to India on Friday to face murder charges, after Rome dramatically reversed a decision that they would not return which had triggered a diplomatic firestorm.

2013-03-22T05:31:07ZAFP Global Editionby Ammu Kannampillytag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Murder_charge_Italian_marines_Delhi_4727

Two Italian marines charged with murder in India are on their way back to New Delhi after the government in Rome agreed they should return to face trial, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

2013-03-22T04:28:52ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Korea_video_depicts_invasion_South_ab14

North Korea posted a new propaganda video Friday, showing paratroopers descending on Seoul in an invasion scenario that envisages taking around 150,000 US residents in South Korea hostage.

2013-03-22T04:15:34ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Japan_deputy_visit_China_next_cd58

Japan will send Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso to China next month in what would be the first high-level meeting of the Asian powers' new governments amid diplomatic tensions, a report said on Friday.

2013-03-22T04:04:52ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Letters_reveal_tensions_Thatcher_govt_bd43

Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher faced opposition from within her own government over the Falklands War, with one MP warning her "it'll make Suez look like common sense".

2013-03-22T03:45:44ZAFP European EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/SKoreas_defence_minister_nominee_resigns_0bef

In a fresh blow to South Korea's new president, Park Geun-Hye, her nominee for defence minister stepped down on Friday at a time of elevated military tensions with North Korea.

2013-03-22T03:23:50ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/NKorea_video_depicts_invasion_South_25b4

North Korea posted a new propaganda video on Friday, showing paratroopers descending on Seoul in an invasion scenario that it said would see thousands of US citizens living in South Korea taken hostage.

2013-03-22T03:11:57ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Pro-Assad_cleric_among_killed_Damascus_63fa

A suicide bomb attack on a central Damascus mosque has killed 42 people, including Syria's most prominent pro-regime Sunni cleric, wounding dozens of others, the health ministry said.

2013-03-22T03:10:45ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Putin_welcomes_Chinas_landmark_talks_b20d

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and China's new leader Xi Jinping are to hold landmark talks on Friday in the hope of further cementing the two countries' partnership with a range of economic and strategic agreements.

2013-03-22T02:49:06ZAFP Global Editionby Anna Smolchenkotag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Obama_direct_peace_appeal_young_8b56

In a powerful direct appeal to Israelis, President Barack Obama insisted that a two-state peace with the Palestinians could still be forged and is their only hope of true security.

2013-03-22T01:04:50ZAFP Global Editionby Stephen Collinsontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Italy_says_will_send_marines_b369

Italy said two marines on trial for murder in India would return to the country by Friday, a stunning turnaround after Rome earlier unleashed a diplomatic furore by saying they would not go back.

2013-03-22T01:03:43ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/team_Kigali_transfer_Congo_rebel_23a2

Experts from the International Criminal Court have arrived in Kigali to help transfer Democratic Republic of Congo warlord Bosco Ntaganda to the Netherlands to face trial, a US official said.

2013-03-21T21:31:46ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Obama_direct_appeal_young_Israelis_ce86

In a powerful direct appeal to Israelis, President Barack Obama Thursday insisted a two-state peace with the Palestinians could still be forged and was their only hope of true security.

2013-03-21T21:16:53ZAFP Global Editionby Stephen Collinsontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Congo_rebel_transfer_wont_bring_1417

The transfer to the International Criminal Court of warlord Bosco Ntaganda would be a blow against impunity but will not fundamentally change the situation in eastern DR Congo, analysts say.

2013-03-21T21:12:01ZAFP Global Editionby Helen Vesperini