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The Philippines Thursday said it has withdrawn its largest warship from a simmering stand-off with Chinese boats in the South China Sea, but the dispute remains far from over with both countries deploying non-military boats in the disputed area.

An uneasy calm prevailed in Syrian cities after a ceasefire proposed by UN envoy Kofi Annan came into force Thursday morning even as Western countries doubted President Bashar al-Assad's intentions to hold on to the truce plan.

An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader in the Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The intentional misreading of UN security council resolution 1973 resulted in Nato's predictably violent Operation Odyssey in Libya last year.

The Philippines has warned that it would defend itself if attacked following a standoff between a Philippine warship and two Chinese surveillance vessels over fishing rights in the South China Sea.

Thousands of displaced remain in need

British Prime Minister David Cameron is visiting Jakarta Wednesday where the sale of arms is high on the agenda. As China deepens its defense spending and India emerges as the world’s largest importer of arms, Southeast Asia’s largest economy is heading in the same direction.

Special Representative Martin Kobler.

The United States has reportedly sent Iran a message of intent by despatching two aircraft carriers to the Gulf region.

An international chorus is denouncing North Korea’s planned satellite rocket launch. Pyongyang is at odds with the world community over the project, which is seen as furthering North Korea’s quest for intercontinental ballistic missile capability.