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In a blow to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, her Christian Democratic Union party lost in the country's most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia, but she said the poll defeat would not affect her tough austerity measures for the euro zone.

The disputed town of Abyei was the scene of renewed violence in May 2011 after Sudanese Government forces took over the area.

Thousands of people have again marched through the Russian capital.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel has suffered a major defeat at the hands of a left wing opposition.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Oceania Affairs Abbas Araghchi has said that Baghdad is safe for upcoming nuclear meeting of Iran and the major powers of the world.

Syrian troops backed by tanks killed at least five civilians, torched homes and looted shops when they overran a rebellious Sunni Muslim farming village Sunday, as tensions from the 14-month-old uprising also spilled into neighboring Lebanon.

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has condemned today's assassination of Maulawi Arsala Rahmani, a senior member of the country's High Peace Council, and stated its continued commitment to supporting the locally-led peace and reconciliation process.

The ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Syria stressed on Saturday the EU's commitment to the initiative for peace by the UN-Arab League joint envoy for Syria Kofi Annan.