Syria’s Homs battered

Troops pounded besieged districts of the flashpoint city of Homs as 15 people were killed in violence across Syria on Sunday, taking the weekend death toll to 84, a watchdog said. Full story

Egypt votes on final day to elect president

Egyptians were voting Sunday on the last day of a highly divisive presidential run-off between an Islamist and Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister, amid moves by the army to consolidate its power ahead of the final results. Full story

Taliban praise India for resisting Afghan entanglement

India has done well to resist US calls for greater involvement in Afghanistan, the Taliban said in a rare direct comment about one of the strongest opponents of the hardline Islamist group that was ousted from power in 2001. Full story

French election tipped to cement shift to left

The French voted on Sunday in an election run-off expected to cement the country’s swing to the left by handing Socialist president Francois Hollande a solid parliamentary majority to push his agenda. Full story

Malaysia reforms could spark unrest: Mahathir

Influential former strongman Mahathir Mohamad has thrown his weight behind a Malaysian conservative pushback against growing calls for change, saying reform could lift the lid on ethnic tensions. Full story

Salman likely to be new Saudi heir as Nayef buried

Saudi Arabia was preparing on Sunday to bury crown prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz amid worldwide condolences, as defence minister Prince Salman appeared poised to become the new heir apparent. Full story

North Korea accuses Hillary of ‘reckless’ criticism

North Korea hit out at the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, on Sunday, addressing her by her first name and accusing her of ‘reckless’ criticism of its human rights record. Full story

Sudan govt seizes more newspapers

Sudanese security agents seized all the copies of three independent newspapers on Sunday, their editors said, the latest such move in a week-long crackdown on local independent dailies. Full story

Taliban ban anti-polio drive in Pakistan tribal area

Pakistani militants in a Taliban and al-Qaeda infested tribal region Saturday banned anti-polio vaccination teams, to protest US drone strikes saying the attacks were killing civilians. Full story

Election campaign begins in Libya today

Political campaigning for a national assembly begins on Monday, a milestone in Libya’s troubled path to democratic elections after four decades of dictatorship under late Moamer Kadhafi. Full story

Romney accuses Obama of political motivation on immigration

Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney accused the president, Barack Obama, in remarks aired on Sunday of political motivation ahead of the November 6 election by offering work permits to hundreds... Full story

Bomb kills six cops in Pakistan

A roadside bomb targeting a police van killed six police officers and one civilian in the northwestern Pakistani city of Kohat late Saturday, the police said. ‘The bomb was planted in a drain, it was detonated by a... Full story

Fire kills 13 in Turkish prison

Thirteen prisoners were killed in a fire that broke out in a jail in southeast Turkey overnight during a dispute among inmates, a local official said on Sunday. The blaze, at a jail housing about 1,000 prisoners in Sanliurfa... Full story