22 January 2014 Last updated at 09:21 GMT
Police confirm death of one man – reportedly shot four times – as medics speak of second fatality in Kiev clashes
Syria peace conference Geneva II begins in Switzerland
A major conference aimed at finding a solution to the three-year conflict in Syria, which has left many thousands dead, is starting in Switzerland.
The Syrian government and the main opposition are attending the Geneva II summit along with international allies.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told delegates they faced a "formidable challenge", but there was a chance to "make a new beginning".
However, correspondents say no major breakthroughs are expected soon.
The key issue, on which neither side appears willing to budge, is the future of President Bashar al-Assad.
Differences were also laid bare on the eve of the summit, in a report accusing Syria of mass torture and executions.
Direct talks begin in Geneva on Friday. This would be the first time the Syrian government and the opposition have met face to face since the start of the conflict which, in addition to the dead, has left millions of Syrians displaced.
Two reported dead in Ukraine protests
Police confirm death of one man – reportedly shot four times – as medics speak of second fatality in Kiev clashes
Two people were reported dead in Kiev on Wednesday morning, as police began to move in on protesters who have occupied the centre of the capital.
Following reports of the deaths, Ukraine's prime minister, Mykola Azarov, said terrorists were threatening the lives of ordinary citizens in Kiev, and the "criminal" actions of protesters would be punished.
A 30-year-old man died after being shot four times by riot police, Oleg Musiy, the protest's medical co-ordinator said, adding that the man had been hit in "the neck, head and chest". He said the body had been brought to the main protest camp on Independence Square, where experts would determine whether rubber bullets or real ones had been used. Video footage showed a body, wrapped in blankets, being loaded into an ambulance while protesters sang the national anthem.
FIFA threaten to drop Curitiba from World Cup host cities
Curitiba is in jeopardy of being dropped as host city for the World Cup in Brazil. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke has warned it has "reached a critical point" after multiple missed stadium construction deadlines.
Valcke said on Tuesday that if the stadium construction in Curitiba fails to make significant progress, it could be skipped over for world football's biggest tournament this year.
"We cannot organize a match without a stadium, this has reached a critical point," he said after visiting the construction site.
The 43,000 capacity Arena de Baixada is estimated to be around 90 percent completed, but it has been plagued with setbacks. In August, plans for a retractable roof were scrapped due to time constraints. Judicial authorities stopped construction due to safety concerns in October, and two months later work was temporarily halted when personnel walked off the job in protest of unpaid wages.
Progress 'not to our liking'
"It is a delicate question. But let us be frank and direct about it," said Valcke, who has not shied away from making strong statements about Brazil's preparation for the tournament. "As you must know the present situation at the stadium is not to our liking."
Egypt's Brotherhood members aim to outwit informants
Muslim Brotherhood members in Egypt only agree to meet after sunset and are wary of everyone including family members, as part of tactics to outwit informants.
Three years after Egypt's revolt which toppled president Hosni Mubarak, their 85-year-old movement is now designated a "terrorist organisation" by the country's military-installed authorities.
The standing of the Islamist group has eroded dramatically in the face of a crackdown launched by the government since the military's July 3 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
The Brotherhood, which has won all elections in post-Mubarak Egypt, is in complete disarray, with its top leadership behind bars and hundreds of members and supporters on the run or living in constant fear.
Playing Cricket, Praying for Peace
By Ashfaq Yusufzai
- Afghanistan is rediscovering the joy of cricket. It is seen as a tool of progress, a means of entertainment, and a way to wean youth away from violence in a country that has been ravaged by conflict for more than 30 years.
Afghanistan will join Asia’s four Test playing nations – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – in the 50-over Asia Cup next month.
But, as many players acknowledge, cricket would never have made a glorious return to Afghanistan without the help of neighbouring Pakistan, where many Afghan cricketers grew up watching and loving the game.
“Violence-wracked Afghanistan desperately needs cricket as a means of entertainment,” Muhammad Nabi, the Afghan cricket team captain, tells IPS. “It is also a big opportunity to wean Afghan youths away from the Taliban.”China cracks down on media coverage as activist goes on trial
January 22, 2014 -- Updated 0835 GMT
Beijing (CNN) -- A high-profile Chinese activist has gone on trial in Beijing, accused of organizing protests against official corruption, his lawyer told CNN.
Xu Zhiyong is accused of "gathering a crowd to disturb public order" after a series of small protests when demonstrators unfurled banners in Beijing calling for officials to publicly declare their assets, lawyer Zhang Qingfang said.
Xu founded the New Citizens Movement, which calls for official transparency and rule of law.
He did not recognize the legitimacy of the prosecution's case and would remain silent in court, Zhang said before the trial began.
The trial has attracted widespread attention and authorities have come down hard on international media covering the case.
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