Syrian forces killed at least 13 civilians in the central town of Rastan on June 2, activists said, in the latest attempt to quell a revolt against the 11-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Pakistan and the US have agreed to resume joint intelligence operations against Islamist militants, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on June 3, in a first step toward rebuilding trust between the two countries.

Infectious disease detectives worldwide rushed on June 2 to find the cause of an outbreak of a rare strain of E. coli that has spread to 10 countries and is blamed for at least 16 deaths and hundreds of illnesses.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has become the second largest trade partner of the Republic of Korea (RoK) four years after the RoK-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement took effect.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad withdrew as the caretaker chief of the country's vital oil sector and named an ally to run the ministry, state TV reported on June 2.

Syrian government troops have heavily bombarded Rastan, near Homs, in the centre of the country, killing at least 15 people, activists say.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has survived a no-confidence motion brought by MPs critical of his handling of the earthquake and tsunami disaster.

A national dialogue has been urged and sought in Bahrain after the state of emergency was lifted on June 1.

Fifa President Sepp Blatter has been voted in for a fourth term in office. The 75-year-old Swiss was the only candidate in Wednesday's election, with the English and Scottish Football Associations failing to delay the vote.

An explosion damaged a hotel used by rebels and foreigners in Libya's rebel-controlled eastern city of Benghazi Wednesday, wounding one person, police said.