A NATO airstrike in eastern Afghanistan has killed at least eight women, according to local officials.

The attack, in a remote region of the Laghman,also injured at least seven women, with some of the injured reported to be as young as ten.

A NATO spokesperson conceded that civilians had died after an attack on insurgents.

On Saturday Lakhdar Brahimi, the newly appointed UN envoy to Syria held his first meeting with Syrian President

Bashar al-Assad, hoping to find a political solution to the ongoing conflict.

More than 50 cities in China saw massive anti-Japan protests carry on for a second day, with the Japanese embassy and several Japanese businesses coming under attack.

An opposition MP and critic of President Putin, Gennady Gudkov, was expelled from the Kremlin on Friday, for allegedly breaching the rules on business affairs.

Amnesty International called on Egypt to arrest Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, when he arrives in Cairo on Sunday.

Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for genocide charges, is due to meet the new Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi during a two day visit.

The US State Department has ordered the withdrawal of all non-essential diplomatic staff and their families from Tunisia and Sudan.

Embassies in both countries have been attacked in recent days, during protests over an anti-Islam film produced in the US.

Chinese boats entered disputed waters between China and Japan on Thursday, as the row over a set of islands claimed by both nations continues to worsen.

Six ships were sent by China to the contested area, with the Chinese foreign ministry stating,

The protests over the obscure movie about Mohammad have escalated around the world.

Three protestors died after thousands of people attacked the US embassy in Khartoum, according to Sudanese state radio.

The mob initially attacked the German embassy and set fire to it, causing severe damage.

The British embassy nearby also saw protests but was not damaged. Germany and the UK have no link to the film.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms today's attack and call on the Sudanese authorities to ensure that those involved are brought to justice," said UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Over a dozen peaceful reform activists have been arrested in Jordan over the past week says Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The wave of arrests indicates a reinforcement of intolerance towards calls for political demands in the kingdom.

US President Barack Obama has said that the US does not consider Egypt to be an ally nor an enemy.

His comments came after clashes and demonstrations outside US consulates across the Middle East, which spread after a movie that was deemed blasphemous by some was made in the US.

"I don't think we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy. They are a new government that is trying to find its way," Mr Obama said in a television interview with Telemundo.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has found at least four politicians responsible for violent clashes in the Tana River County in August and early September.

A Kenyan MP, Dhadho Godhana was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the violence which is reported to have claimed the lives of at least 110 people and left 6000 displaced.

Cambodia’s long running Khmer Rouge war crimes court has ordered the release of the “first lady” who has been declared unfit to stand trial.

The UN backed court ruled that there was no prospect that Ieng Thirith, who is 80 years old, could stand trial due to a degenerative illness that she suffers from.