At least 31 people were killed in a clash between south Sudan's army and rebel militia fighters, the army said on Wednesday, the latest violence to unsettle the region ahead of its independence in July.

The Syrian authorities' arrest of a leftist opposition figure overnight suggests that a bill passed by the government to end emergency rule after 48 years will not halt repression, rights campaigners said on Wednesday.

Japanese exports fell more than expected in March, as damage from last month's earthquake and tsunami affected shipments.

Cuban President Raul Castro on April 19 was elected chief of the ruling Cuban Communist Party (CCP).

UN Security Council members have called for restraint and dialogue between protesters and authorities in Yemen.

The Syrian authorities' arrest of a leftist opposition figure overnight suggests that a bill passed by the government to end emergency rule after 48 years will not halt repression, rights campaigners said on April 20.

A helicopter caught fire on touch-down in India's remote northeastern mountainous region Tuesday, killing 17 people, authorities said.

Japanese consumers may have to help foot the reconstruction bill after last month's earthquake and tsunami caused US$300 billion of damage, further burdening a hugely indebted economy, a newspaper said on April 18.

Syrian security forces killed as many as 24 people over the past two days in areas where anti-government protests have been under way, an opposition source said on April 17.

The ongoing 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba began a debate on a roadmap to update the country’s economic model on April 17, with discussions held in five committees.