Syrian forces attack Homs on eve of Lavrov visit

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian military assault on Homs killed dozens of people on the eve of a visit to Damascus by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov aimed at pressing President Bashar al-Assad to end an 11-month uprising by implementing swift reform.

U.N. nuclear talks in Tehran: frustrated hopes

VIENNA (Reuters) - After two days of rare and intensive talks in Tehran, senior U.N. nuclear officials may have felt they were finally making headway towards getting Iran to address suspicions that it is bent on developing the ability to make atom bombs.

Palestinian rivals agree to form unity government

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The leaders of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed a deal in Qatar on Monday to form a unity government of independent technocrats for the West Bank and Gaza, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Gunmen kill five in Libyan refugee camp: hospital staff

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Gunmen killed five Libyan refugees at their camp in a Tripoli suburb Monday, residents and hospital sources said, underscoring the volatility in the country months after Muammar Gaddafi's overthrow.

Fidel Castro warns of bleak future, touts memoir

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro painted a bleak picture of the future, saying the world was in its worst situation ever as Cuban television aired on Monday part of a six-hour event last week touting his newest memoir.

Rescuers search for missing after Philippine quake

TAYASAN, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine rescuers searched on Tuesday for 29 residents of a mountainside community feared dead after a landslide triggered by an earthquake engulfed their homes.

Egyptians cancel meetings with U.S. lawmakers after aid warnings

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Egyptian military delegation abruptly cancelled its meetings with U.S. lawmakers to return to Cairo on Monday after warnings from both Congress and the White House that Egypt's crackdown on non-governmental groups could threaten its $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid.

China fines parents of HK-born second child: report

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Mainland Chinese who have a second child in Hong Kong will be fined for breaching China's one-child policy, Chinese media quoted a family planning official as saying, as mainland Chinese women flock to the former British colony to give birth.

Colombian ex-militia chief nabbed in Venezuela

BOGOTA (Reuters) - One of Colombia's most-wanted former paramilitary commanders with suspected links to the cocaine trade has been captured in neighboring Venezuela, both nations said on Monday.

Egypt army urges swift move to presidential election

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's military leadership called for a swift move to a presidential election on Monday and security forces sealed off the Interior Ministry in Cairo from stone-throwing protesters clashing with riot police for a fifth day.