Syrian Protesters Mock Cease-Fire and U.N. Observers

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR 50 minutes ago

Demonstrators were angered that United Nations observers said they would not circulate on Fridays, when mass rallies that are suppressed by the government are held.

• Pressure Builds for Tougher Line as Syria Is Said to Shun Peace Plan

In Bahrain, Business Is Not as Usual

By BRAD SPURGEON

The Gulf kingdom's Grand Prix has become a flash point in the battle between the ruling royal family and anti-government opposition groups, with Formula One and the sport's governing body drawn in.

China Court Overturns Death Sentence for Tycoon in Fraud Case

By EDWARD WONG 3:01 PM ET

The Chinese tycoon’s conviction ignited an outcry in China, especially on the Internet, and strengthened public criticism of the death sentence.

Ousted Mali President Arrives in Senegal

By ADAM NOSSITER 33 minutes ago

Amadou Toumani Touré had been in hiding in a suburban district of Mali’s capital, Bamako, after a coup that forced him from office last month.

3 Arrested at Heathrow on Suspicions of Terrorism

By RAVI SOMAIYA

The suspects, residents of Britain’s second-largest city, Birmingham, were arrested Thursday night as they arrived from Oman.

Two More Secret Service Agents Said to Face Firing

By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT 4:51 PM ET

The dismissals would raise to five the number of members of the Secret Service forced out in the prostitution case.

• U.S. Expands Inquiry of Suspected Misconduct by Agents in Colombia

NATO Helicopter Crashes in Southern Afghanistan

By GRAHAM BOWLEY 12:41 PM ET

A United States helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan after it responded to evacuate Afghan police officers wounded in a suicide attack on a police checkpoint.

Former Treasurer Convicted of Bribery in Indonesia

By SARA SCHONHARDT

The Muhammad Nazaruddin case has damaged the image of the governing Democrat Party, as well as the president's anti-corruption campaign.

In France, the Fringe Emerges as a Force

By NICOLA CLARK

As the French head to the polls Sunday, widespread frustration is manifesting itself in stronger-than-usual support for presidential candidates from the extreme wings of both the left and right.

With Vote Days Away, Outlook for Sarkozy Dims

By STEVEN ERLANGER

Nicolas Sarkozy could be the first one-term French president since 1981, with the first round of voting scheduled for Sunday.

Signs of an Asian Arms Buildup in India’s Missile Test

By HEATHER TIMMONS and JIM YARDLEY

With the launching of the missile, called the Agni 5, India joins a small group of countries with long-range nuclear missile capability, including China, Britain, France, Russia, Israel and the United States.

• India Ink Blog: Foreign Reactions to Test
• Videos: Launch | TimesCast
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As Sudanese Clashes Escalate, So Do Bellicose Exchanges

By JOSH KRON

Recent attacks over the contested region of Heglig have spread to a number of areas along the border and beyond.

Disgraced Chinese Official’s Loyalists Are Rounded Up for Questioning

By EDWARD WONG

The central Communist Party is attempting to dismantle the support network of Bo Xilai, the former party chief in Chongqing and to build a case against him and his wife.

Two Guantánamo Detainees Freed, the First in 15 Months

By CHARLIE SAVAGE

Two Chinese Muslims, both ethnic Uighurs, were accepted by El Salvador four years after a federal judge ordered their release.

• The Guantánamo Docket

A Spate of Teenage Suicides Alarms Russians

By GLENN KATES

President Dmitri A. Medvedev and experts warned that too much publicity surrounding the deaths might be contributing to a copycat effect.

Santiago Xalitzintla Journal

In Mexico, a Volcano Rumbles, but Few Flinch

By DAMIEN CAVE

The Popocatépetl volcano spewed a cloud of ash again this week, but lifelong residents nearby who see it as a protector have no plans to evacuate.