Five car bombs went off around Baghdad on January 23, killing at least six people and wounding 29, security sources said, in a seemingly coordinated series of attacks during a major Shi'ite religious rite.

The Green Party has pulled out of Ireland's crumbling government, it said on January 23, depriving it of a majority in parliament and likely forcing early elections.

France is ready to host another donor conference for Palestinians if the Palestinian-Israeli peace process is resumed, Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie has said.

Drawing inspiration from the revolt in Tunisia, thousands of Yemen demanded the ouster of their president on Saturday in a noisy demonstration that appeared to be the first large-scale public challenge to the strongman.

Malaysia says its navy commandos have foiled an attempted hijacking of a ship in the Gulf of Aden, rescuing 23 crew and capturing seven Somali pirates.

World powers enter a second and final day of talks with Iran on January 22, having made scant progress toward persuading the Islamic Republic to curb its nuclear program on the first day of the meeting in Istanbul.

At least three protesters were shot dead from close range in a clash with police on January 21 outside the Albanian Prime Minster's office, a hospital official said, an escalation of some of the worst politically fueled tension to wrack the southern European nation in 14 years.

Cuba has suspended all postal deliveries to the US until further notice. The suspension follows the introduction of stricter security measures by the US last year after the attempted mailing of explosives from Yemen.  

The Republic of Korea on Thursday accepted the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea's offer of high-level military talks to ease months of tension, but said Pyongyang must admit responsibility for two deadly border attacks.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Thursday that he won't relinquish special legislative powers - a possibility he raised last week as a means of seeking reconciliation with Venezuela's opposition.