Syria Syria: Government claims victory in battle for Damascus The Syrian army is claiming that it has regained full control of the capital Damascus from the forces of the Free Syrian Army rebels. Since July 04/08/2012
Russian judokas throw Olympic surprise The Olympic Judo competition threw some surprising results. The Japanese were strangled to their worst ever result since judo became an Olympic 04/08/2012
United Kingdom Tottenham uses sport to rebuild, but cuts biting It is a year since riots that began in Tottenham ripped apart London. The area, one of the poorest in the British capital, still suffers from many 04/08/2012
Nigeria 'Nothing done' over Nigeria oil pollution, say locals Twelve months after the UN called for a huge clean-up of oil pollution in southern Nigeria, its Environment Programme says it is pleased the 04/08/2012
Turkey Give us guns say Syrian refugees in Turkey Syrian refugees in Turkey, Ankara’s sabre-rattling and UN resolutions notwithstanding, are sceptical there is to be any improvement in their 04/08/2012
Libya Car bomb in Libya capital Tripoli, little damage A car bomb has exploded in the Libyan capital Tripoli, in the first such attack in the city since the start of the revolt that toppled Muammar 04/08/2012
Syria New fighting in Damascus and Aleppo after UN Syria vote More fighting has been reported in Syria’s two main cities as rebels and government forces wrestle for control. In Damascus new amateur video is 04/08/2012
London 2012: Day seven America’s Michael Phelps overcame a shaky start to edge out rival Chad le Clos and take gold in the men’s 100m butterfly final in London on 04/08/2012
Italy Italy: Government backs steel plant clean-up plans Italy’s government has approved multi-million euro clean-up plans in and around a controversial steel plant whose partial closure has prompted 04/08/2012
Kenya 'Suicide attack' in Kenya ahead of Clinton visit A suspected suicide bomber has killed himself and wounded nine people in Nairobi, hours before a visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 04/08/2012
Spain Spain jails one of three 'al Qaeda' suspects A Turkish man, one of three terror suspects arrested in Spain, has been charged with possessing explosives and jailed. He and two men of Chechen 04/08/2012
Italy Italy: S&P downgrades 15 banks and warns over recession Standard & Poor’s has downgraded 15 Italian banks, saying Italy faces a potentially deeper and more prolonged recession than the ratings agency had 04/08/2012
Sudan Sudan and South Sudan resolve oil dispute Sudan and South Sudan have reached a deal to restart oil production after a dispute over taxes. The South shut down its output in January after 04/08/2012
Spain Spain announces more big spending cuts Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told reporters that he would do “what was best for the Spanish people”. But he failed to mention that that would 04/08/2012
USA US: Same-sex kiss-in as 'fast food war' over gay marriage hots up Supporters of gay marriage have staged kiss-ins outside a US fast food chain after its boss said he backed “the biblical definition of the family 04/08/2012
Syria Syria: UN Assembly condemns ongoing violence The UN General Assembly has voted by an overwheming majority to condemn its own Security Council, for failing to stop the violence in Syria. It has 04/08/2012
Russia Russia: Protests at Pussy Riot trial “Freedom for Pussy Riot!” they cried. But three demonstrators were detained for a colourful show of support for the all-female punk band appearing at 04/08/2012